Bernard Natan(1886-1942)

Bernard Natan was born Natan Tannenzaft in Romania. He emigrated to France and became involved in the film industry, and eventually was appointed head of Pathe-Cinema, a major film production company. Prior to being appointed to that position, however, it has been alleged to be one of the most prolific producers of "stag" films--hardcore pornographic shorts--but his were distinguished from the run-of-the-mill sex films by their attention to plot, editing, costumes and overall production professionalism, and he even acted in several of them. Recent evidence has come to light in the documentary Natan(2013)that the pornographic claims may be false. During WWI he enlisted and served France with distinction being awarded medals for valor. This earned him French citizenship. In 1928 he foresaw the impact that sound would have on the film industry and noted that none of the big French studios were prepared for it, so he bought out Pathe-Cinema from owner Charles Pathe who thought film talkies would not make money. Natan renamed the compant Pathe-Natan and equipped it to produce talkies and built a new production studio. His mainstream films attracted attention, often for their political content. His 1934 film, Le dernier milliardaire (1934), ridiculed German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, and caused rioting by French Nazi sympathizers. His notoriety wasn't enough to stave off his financial problems, however, and in 1935 he declared bankruptcy and the studio ceased production. Arrested for fraud in 1936, he was in prison when the Germans took over Paris in 1940. The French government passed a new law to revoke Natan's citizenship because gaining citizenship has war veteran was equivalent to being born French. Rumor was that Charles Pathe was the force behind the scenes pushing things, still bitter that he sold his company to Natan. A Jew, Natan was rounded up with other French Jews, herded into a cattle car and sent off to a concentration camp. He was never seen again but his wife who was French received a letter from him in early 1943, this was the last contact. It is presumed to have died in a Nazi death camp.