French Film Publications (August 1944-December 1948): A Preliminary List to a Basic Bibliography. Part I

Abstract

THOSE interested in film, now find two major film bibliographies available: the Film Index published in the United States, and the huge work by H. Traub and H. W. Lavies, Das deutsche Filmschrifttum, dealing with the German motion picture industry. They provided at the time of their publication inexhaustible and practically complete sources of information. Although they are now a little out of date, their interest remains. Very little bibliographical material on the French film industry is available: the article by G. M. Coissac, published in Le Tout Cinema under the title "Essai de bibliographie du cinematographe," is sixteen years old; the Index de la Cinematographie frangaise published in its first edition a paper entitled "Livres sur le cinema." The biggest part of the work remains to be done. Two unpublished projects should, however, be noted. The first is by Miss Akakia Viala, head librarian at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Cinematographiques, who prepared the "Lexique cinematographique." Unfortunately its publication has been delayed for an indefinite period. The other is by M. M. Lapierre who has been working for many years on a "Bibliographie fransaise du cinema," but its date of publication is also indefinite. In this situation, the student of film may find a preliminary list of French film publications valuable. It does not pretend to be a complete bibliography, as its title indicates. In spite of the