My Life as Film Juror:
Representing the contingency of U.S. critics, I have been asked to serve on the jury of the 75th milestone edition of the Cannes Film Fest, May 17-28.
This would be my fifth service on the jury (Fipresci) of this prestigious venue; I had also served on the juries of its 40th, 50th, 60th, and 70th anniversaries.
Fall Festival
The second Cannes Film Fest was again held in the fall, between September 12-25, 1947.
Fest Jury: All French (Men)
Georges Huisman (historian) (president)
Raymond Borderie (CNC official)
Georges Carriere (cinephile)
Chosson (CNC official)
Joseph Dotti (cinephile)
Escoute Cannes city official)
Jean Grémillon
Maurice Hille (cinephile)
Robert Hubert
Alexandre Kamenka
Jean Mineur (CNCF official)
Henri Moret (cinephile)
Jean Nery (critic)
Maurice Perisset (cinephile)
Georges Raguis (union official)
Rene-Jeanne (critic)
Georges Rollin
Régis Roubin (cinephile)
Marc-Gilbert Sauvajon
Segalon (cinephile)
René Sylviano
Films in Competition
The competition was dominated by Hollywood films, which constituted one third of the main lineup, and went on to win the top awards.
Antoine et Antoinette, directed by Jacques Becker
Boomerang! directed by Elia Kazan
Crossfire, directed by Edward Dmytryk (soon to be blacklisted as one of Hollywood Ten).
(Crossfire was nominated the for Best Picture Oscar; the winner was Kazan’s Gentleman’s Agreement.
Dumbo, directed by Walt Disney, Ben Sharpsteen
Il delitto di Giovanni Episcopo directed by Alberto Lattuada
Ivy, directed by Sam Wood
La copla de la Dolores directed by Benito Perojo
La figlia del capitano directed by Mario Camerini
La gata directed by Mario Soffici
Les Amants du pont Saint-Jean, directed by Henri Decoin
Les jeux sont faits directed by Jean Delannoy
Les Maudits directed by René Clement
Marouf Savetier du Caire directed by Jean Mauran
Mine Own Executioner directed by Anthony Kimmins
Paris 1900 directed by Nicole Vedres
Possessed directed by Curtis Bernhardt
(Film noir, starring Joan Crawford in her third and last Best Actress Oscar nomination)
Skeep till India land, directed by Ingmar Bergman
Sperduti nel buio directed by Camillo Mastrocinque
A Tanítónő directed by Márton Keleti
The Chase, directed by Arthur Ripley
The Jolson Story directed by Alfred E. Green
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers directed by Lewis Milestone
(Film Noir)
Två kvinnor directed by Arnold Sjostrand
Ziegfeld Follies directed by Vincente Minnelli
Awards
In the second edition, awards were divided by genre. Thus Minnelli’s Ziegfeld Follies (a rather mediocre compilation of song and dance) won for Best Musical Comedy.
Dmytryk’s Oscar nominated message noir (about anti-Semitism) Crossfire received the Best Social Film Aawrd.
- Best Musical Comedy: Ziegfeld Follies
Best Psychological and Love Film: Antoine et Antoinette
Best Animation Design: Dumbo
Best Social Film: Crossfire
Best Adventure and Crime Film: Les Maudits
- Best Short Film: Inondations en Pologne
