"Le cinéma sous la botte hitlérienne" by James Pollard

In this fascinating book, Daniel Lesueur examines French cinema production during the thorny period of the German occupation.

Key to this period, we discover, is the company known as Continental. A number of the greatest French film directors were to make some of their best films in cooperation with the company's chief, the enigmatic and charismatic Alfred Greven, a friend of Goering. Henri-Georges Clouzot, Maurice Tourneur, Henri Decoin, André Cayatte, Christian-Jaque all chose to work with Greven. 

Of course, some of these directors as well as number of screen stars were to pay the price of their collaboration during the dreadful period known as the épuration...

Unlike the many other books analysing this period, the author eschews the stultifying rigours of an academic approach, preferring instead to review the films produced during this brief episode. The book thus provides a comprehensive and entertaining panorama of French film during the 1940s. Lovers of French cinema couldn't ask for more !

You can buy the paperback book (CLICK HERE) and the e book (CLICK HERE)