Alain Adler, movie photography between set and screen
From "La Traversée de Paris" to "À bout de souffle", the photographic work of Alain Adler (1923-1997) is a tremendous testimony of the French cinema in full mutation where the "New Wave" emerged in the aftermath and in opposition to the classic post-war cinema. In black and white and in square format, his touch was a stance that transfigured the usual vision of 35 mm or CinemaScope films. Only the period from 1954 to 1964 remains of his production: 12,000 photos of film shootings, snapshots of icons of the 7th Art.
Conceived in collaboration with his nephew Guillaume Adler who pays tribute to him in the text below, this exhibition presents 86 contemporary prints in limited and numbered edition.
"It was when I discovered in a magazine, following the death of Jean-Paul Belmondo, the name of the photographer Alain Adler as credit for a photo of "Breathless", that his memory suddenly came back to me. The figure of my uncle Albert, the eldest of my father's brothers, the one who, having joined the Resistance at the beginning of the World War II at the age of 19, had saved them thanks to his FTP-MOI (Francs-tireurs et partisans - Main-d'oeuvre immigrée) and OSE (Œuvre de secours aux enfants) networks. Alain was his Resistance name.
He was so discreet, secretive, silent, he told nothing of his life, of his lives, he probably got this way of compartmentalizing from the Resistance."
"Love in the Afternoon" by Billy Wilder. Audrey Hepburn. France, October 6, 1956.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Time Bomb" by Yves Ciampi. Curd Jürgens. 31 July 1958.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"OSS 117 se déchaîne" by André Hunebelle. Nadia Sanders. France, 20 February 1963.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Love in the afternoon" by Billy Wilder. Gary Cooper. France, 6 October 1956.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Jean Delannoy. Anthony Quinn. France, 16 May 1956.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Mon curé chez les pauvres" by Henri Diamant-Berger. Arletty. France, 1956.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case" by Jean Delannoy. Jean Gabin. 1958.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Montparnasse 19" by Jacques Becker. Gérard Philipe. France, 10 September 1957.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Alain Adler was born in 1923 in Hungary in a Jewish family that immigrated to Paris in the 1930s. He attended the Maïmonides school, when the war put an end to his promising studies. In 1942, he joined the Resistance, FTP-MOI, then FFI (Forces françaises de l'intérieur). After the war, he became an editor for newspapers such as "Franc-Tireur" and "Renouveau". Very quickly, he turned to photography and collaborated with film magazines: "Ciné-Révélation", "Regards", "L'Avant-Garde"…
I didn't know that photography had taken on such importance in his life that it became his profession for ten years.
His abandonment remains just as much a mystery."
"Méfiez-vous, Mesdames !" by André Hunebelle. Michèle Morgan. France, 22 July 1963.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"The Crossing of Paris" by Claude Autant-Lara. Jacques Marin, Jean Gabin and Bourvil. France, 1956.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"The Devil and the Ten Commandments" by Julien Duvivier. Michel Simon and Claude Nollier. France, 17 May 1962.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"The Devil and the Ten Commandments" by Julien Duvivier. Lino Ventura and Charles Aznavour. France, 17 May 1962.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Les Vignes du Seigneur" (The Lord's vineyards) by Jean Boyer. Fernandel. France, 18 June 1958.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Le Coup de bambou" by Jean Boyer. Micheline Presle. France, 11 January 1963.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"The Man in the Raincoat" by Julien Duvivier. Bernard Blier. France, 1956.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Du grabuge chez les veuves" by Jacques Poitrenaud. Danielle Darrieux. France, 12 September 1963.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Toute la ville accuse" by Claude Boissol. Jean Marais and Etchika Choureau. France, 1956.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
Filming of "Magnet of Doom" by Jean-Pierre Melville. Jean-Pierre Melville. France, 14 September 1962.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Le Doulos" by Jean-Pierre Melville. Jean-Paul Belmondo, Serge Reggiani and Philippe March. France, 20 May 1962.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Le Doulos" by Jean-Pierre Melville. Serge Reggiani. France, 20 May 1962.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Léon Morin, Priest" by Jean-Pierre Melville. Jean-Paul Belmondo. France, 24 January 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Léon Morin, Priest" by Jean-Pierre Melville. Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Paul Belmondo. France, 24 January 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Magnet of Doom" by Jean-Pierre Melville. Jean-Paul Belmondo and Charles Vanel. France, 14 September 1962.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"His career as a photographer ended in the mid-1960s. He then filed his prints and negatives in two suitcases which he put on top of a cupboard where they remained for almost thirty years.
After working as a salesman for Saunier Duval, he opened a bookshop in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. I still remember when he offered me half of the comics section or when he would gladly turn away troublesome customers. His business continued for more than ten years, mainly thanks to sales of topographical maps for hikers.
It was not until the early 1990s that my cousin Yves, having knowledge of the photos and negatives (more than 12,000) and knowing our uncle was in need, suggested that he sell them to an agency that would take care of his work and continue to support him. The Roger-Viollet agency naturally imposed itself on him."
Jean-Pierre Melville, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Vanel and Michèle Mercier at the end of the shooting of "Magnet of Doom". 14 September 1962.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Any Number Can Win" by Henri Verneuil. Alain Delon. France, 14 December 1962.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Any Number Can Win" by Henri Verneuil. Jean Gabin and Alain Delon. France, 14 December 1962.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Greed in the Sun" by Henri Verneuil. Lino Ventura and Bernard Blier. France, 1963.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Greed in the Sun" by Henri Verneuil. Jean-Paul Belmondo. France, 1963.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Greed in the Sun" by Henri Verneuil. Jean-Paul Belmondo. France, 1963.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
Jean-Luc Godard on the set of his film "Les Carabiniers". December 1962.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Breathless" by Jean-Luc Godard. Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo. Paris, September 1959.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Breathless" by Jean-Luc Godard. Jean-Paul Belmondo. Paris, September 1959.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Breathless" by Jean-Luc Godard. Jean Seberg. France, September 1959.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Breathless" by Jean-Luc Godard. Jean Seberg, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean-Luc Godard. Paris, September 1959.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Breathless" by Jean-Luc Godard. Jean-Luc Godard, Raoul Coutard, Jean Seberg, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jacques Maumont. Paris, September 1959.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Breathless" by Jean-Luc Godard. Raoul Coutard, Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo. Paris, September 1959.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Breathless" by Jean-Luc Godard. Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg. Paris, September 1959.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Breathless" by Jean-Luc Godard. Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg. Paris, September 1959.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Zazie dans le métro" by Louis Malle. Catherine Demongeot. France, June 1960.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Zazie dans le métro" by Louis Malle. Catherine Demongeot and Philippe Noiret. France, June 1960.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Zazie dans le métro" by Louis Malle. Catherine Demongeot and Yvonne Clech. France, June 1960.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Zazie dans le métro" by Louis Malle. Catherine Demongeot. France, June 1960.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Cléo from 5 to 7" by Agnès Varda. Corinne Marchand. France, 28 June 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Cléo from 5 to 7" by Agnès Varda. Agnès Varda and Corinne Marchand. France, 28 June 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"During the preparation of the exhibition, Yves mentioned a last box that Alain had left behind. In this box are piled up some well-ordered files and a few photos on the surface, such as those of a report on an acupuncturist or a radiesthetist, accompanied by their article. Then administrative papers, newspaper clippings, portraits of actors and actresses… This is how Alain Adler came to photography, through writing. The editorial offices then commissioned him to write articles illustrated with photos, which were more attractive.
Opening a new file, these are now newspaper articles with their drafts, such as a portrait of Corinne Marchand, the actress in "Cléo from 5 to 7", of whom Alain Adler has taken photographs…"
"Cléo from 5 to 7" by Agnès Varda. Agnès Varda and Corinne Marchand. France, 28 June 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Cléo from 5 to 7" by Agnès Varda. Corinne Marchand and Agnès Varda. France, 28 June 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
Alain Levent (standing) and Agnès Varda on the set of her film “Cléo from 5 to 7”. France, 28 June 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"The Cousins" by Claude Chabrol. Jean-Claude Brialy and Juliette Mayniel. France, 12 September 1958.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"The Cousins" by Claude Chabrol. Juliette Mayniel. France, 12 September 1958.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"The Cousins" by Claude Chabrol. Juliette Mayniel, Jean-Marie Arnoux and Claude Cerval (Claude Chabrol in the background). France, 12 September 1958.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"The Cousins" by Claude Chabrol. Gérard Blain and Juliette Mayniel. France, 12 September 1958.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Ce soir ou jamais" by Michel Deville. Anna Karina. France, 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Ce soir ou jamais" by Michel Deville. Anna Karina and Claude Rich. France, 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Ce soir ou jamais" by Michel Deville. Anna Karina and Claude Rich. France, 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"From 1954 to 1964, Alain Adler browsed the French film industry, which was rich in varied productions. From the beginnings of the Nouvelle Vague (Godard, Truffaut, Chabrol…) through the longevity of the "French quality" (Delannoy, Duvivier, Carné…) against which it was built, from the cinema of Jean-Pierre Melville to the lighter productions with evocative titles ("Be Beautiful But Shut Up", "Diary of a Bad Girl", "Miss Catastrophe"…) which mean a lot about the place of women in society.
The emblematic movie stars of the moment - or those to come - parade before the photographer's lens, such as Jean Seberg, Brigitte Bardot, Anna Karina, Bernadette Laffont, Corinne Marchand, Jean Gabin, Alain Delon, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Jean-Claude Brialy and Jean-Paul Belmondo.
Alain Adler mainly photographs during the downtime of the shoot. The set is in place, but the actors "off" and in a way become a bit themselves again, abandoning their filmic character for a break.
From Claude Autant-Lara's "The Crossing of Paris" to Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless", this exhibition is a fair reflection of Alain Adler's work during this decade, a formidable testimony to a golden age of French cinema."
Guillaume Adler
"Boulevard" by Julien Duvivier. Jean-Pierre Léaud. France, 18 August 1960.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Comment épouser un Premier ministre" by Michel Boisrond. Jean-Claude Brialy. France, 1964.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Ballad for a Hoodlum" by Claude-Jean Bonnardot. Laurent Terzieff. France, 12 September 1962.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Reproduction interdite" by Gilles Grangier. Annie Girardot. France, 30 April 1956.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"La Parisienne" by Michel Boisrond. Brigitte Bardot. France, 28 March 1957.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Cette nuit-là..." by Maurice Cazeneuve. Maurice Ronet. France, 1958.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Ce soir ou jamais" by Michel Deville. Françoise Dorléac. France, 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Danger in the Middle East" by Michel Clément and Umberto Scarpelli. Michel Piccoli and Françoise Arnoul. France, 8 February 1960.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Club de femmes" by Ralph Habib. Dany Carrel and Jean-Louis Trintignant. France, 1956.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Les Godelureaux" by Claude Chabrol. Charles Belmont and Bernadette Lafont. France, 17 August 1960.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Les Godelureaux" by Claude Chabrol. Bernadette Lafont. France, 17 August 1960.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"The Lions Are Loose" by Henri Verneuil. Darry Cowl and Claudia Cardinale. France, 24 January 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
Sketch "Sophie" by Marc Allégret from the movie "Tales of Paris". Johnny Hallyday and Catherine Deneuve. France, 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
Sketch "Pride" by Roger Vadim from the film "The Seven Deadly Sins". Marina Vlady and Sami Frey. France, 27 October 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Elevator to the Gallows" by Louis Malle. Félix Marten and Jeanne Moreau. France, October 1957.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Girls of the Night" by Maurice Cloche. Scilla Gabel. France, 21 November 1957.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Diamond Machine" by Pierre Chevalier. Eddie Constantine and Maria Frau. France, 1955.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Oh! Qué mambo" by John Berry. Lyla Rocco and Dario Moreno. France, 23 September 1958.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Night of the Hunted" by Bernard-Roland. Sami Frey and Falco Lulli. Belgium, 1959.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"The Road to shame" by Edouard Molinaro. Magali Noël and Robert Lombard. France, 7 October 1958.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"The Mask of the Gorilla" by Bernard Borderie. Lino Ventura and Bella Darvi. France, 27 November 1957.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"La Parisienne" by Michel Boisrond. Charles Boyer and Brigitte Bardot. France, 28 March 1957.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Arrêtez le massacre" by André Hunebelle. Corinne Marchand and Jean Richard. France, 11 May 1958.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Les Mordus" by René Jolivet. Bernadette Lafont and Sacha Distel. France, 21 january 1960
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Time Bomb" by Yves Ciampi. Curd Jürgens and Mylène Demongeot. 31 July 1958.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Paris Music Hall" by Stany Cordier. Charles Aznavour and Marie Bizet. France, 31 January 1957.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Crooks in Clover" by Georges Lautner. Claude Rich and Sabine Sinjen. France, 7 May 1963.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"No Time for Ecstasy" by Jean-Jacques Vierne. Jean-Jacques Vierne directing a scene with Peter Van Eyck and Dahlia Lavi. France, 10 December 1960.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
"Too late to love" by Henri Decoin. Michèle Morgan et Claude Dauphin. France, 6 November 1958.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
Shooting of the film "Les Amants de Teruel" by Raymond Rouleau. Ludmilla Tcherina and René-Louis Lafforgue. France, 16 June 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
Film set of "Boulevard" by Julien Duvivier. France, 1960.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.
Shooting of the film "The American Beauty" by Robert Dhéry. France, 26 June 1961.
Limited edition of 30 numbered copies.