Before the First World War Albert Capellani made lm versions of many 19th-century literary classics. His fame as the “master- director of French literary photo-dramatization” (Photoplay, July 1915) accompanied him to the United States. While his Ameri- can adaptations followed the tradition of his French productions in their phenomenal art direction and mise en scène, one ele- ment was very different – the actors.

As the original version of La Bohème has only come down to us as a negative without intertitles, we reproduce here the plot synopsis in the sales catalogue (the Bulletin Pathé no. 5, 1912). We are grateful to the Cinémathèque française for allowing us to project their “work print” based on this negative without intertitles. (See notes for information on this and other such prints at the end of the catalogue section “Alice Guy”.)

“Rodolphe leads a happy life in his garret together with his friend the painter Marcel, when he meets beautiful grisette Mimi, grace- ful as a spring ower. An idyllic relationship is formed and the girl, when evicted from her modest dwelling by the mean land- lord, comes to ask her sweetheart for shelter. The rose bush that Rodolphe gives Mimi is to be the symbol of their love, which will last as long as the owers do not wither! Each of the lovers se- cretly tends the delicate shrub, but despite their efforts the roses eventually die. One evening ckle Mimi, seduced by the mirage of a life of luxury she is offered, leaves the garret, abandoning the one who loves her. But money does not bring happiness to the grisette. One winter day she returns, shivering, sick, exhausted, ‘the wayward bird coming back to the old nest’. Rodolphe’s bit- terness melts away when he sees the poor creature, but despite his loving care the consumption claims her. In the room where they had lived such happy times together, Mimi closes her eyes for ever, clenching her poor, cold, thin hands in a little muff, the last of her fanciful whims and the last offering from her bohemian friends.”