Today’s post was written by David Langbart, archivist in Research Services at the National Archives at College Park, MD.
An earlier post discussed the collapse of the French attempt to initiate a film festival at Cannes in 1939, due to the outbreak of World War II. Getting that festival off the ground was an early priority of the French government once the war ended in Europe in May 1945 and planning for resumption of the festival began almost immediately. The French wanted to hold the festival in October 1945, but it quickly became apparent that more time would be needed and the first festival took place in September-October 1946.
When the subject of participation in the renewed festival was initially broached to representative of the U.S. industry, the response was negative. The return of U.S. studios to Cannes was hindered by continuing controversy involving the distribution of U.S. films in France and a belief that U.S. films were unfairly discriminated against. Those issues are encompassed in the following memorandum:
By the time the planning for the 1946 Cannes festival began, the U.S. motion picture industry had overcome its objections and fully participated in the event. For the U.S. the festival was a success. The Lost Weekend directed by Billy Wilder received one of the 11 Grand Prix du Festival awards, Ray Miland won the Best Actor award for the same film, and the Walt Disney film Make Mine Music won the Best animation design award.
In March 1947, Douglas Schneider, the Public Affairs Officer in the U.S. embassy in Paris, prepared a substantial report on the 1946 festival. He had four concluding points:
- The Motion Picture is definitely a matter which involves national prestige.
- If the U.S. industry participates in international events, the general perception abroad will be that the American Government is involved.
- When other Governments are represented by official delegations, American prestige suffers if some official American representation is not guaranteed.
- American business interests as well as national prestige are affected by the good or poor showings at Festivals of this nature.
You can download the cover despatch and entire report below.
Sources: Embassy of France to the Department of State, September 7, 1945, file 851.607/9-745; Memorandum, Telecommunications Division to Division of Western European Affairs, October 30, 1945, files 851.607/10-3045; U.S. Embassy France to the Department of State, Despatch No. 7824, March 4, 1947, file 851.607/3-447; 1945-49 Central Decimal File, RG 59: General Records of the Department of State.