An Arlésienne, in French, is someone constantly talked about but never seen: and so it was for decades with this mythical, lost Capellani film. The title was always with us, for the film was shown in November 1908 in the same programmes as L’Assassinat du Duc de Guise and L’Empreinte ou La Main rouge. L’Arlésienne was, moreover, not only associated with the notable emergence of Film d’Art, but also with the earliest use of film music by renowned composers. In this case, though, the music was not specially written for the film: in 1872 Georges Bizet had written the incidental music for Alphonse Daudet’s stage play (based on his short story of 1869) and later adapted it as a suite for full orchestra, which became widely known in this and a subsequent version. Then at last, one fine morning in April 2010, there lay the long-sought Arlésienne, on the film viewer at Lobster Films: some 300 metres of beautiful, smooth nitrate…

“L’Arlésienne was (…) a distinct success – a story of earnest human passion in peasant life spoilt by duplicity. There was no delay in production of the films, the scenes following each other so quickly that the interest of a critical audience was not only maintained but deepened. The rural scenery forming the back ground is singularly beautiful, and the warm glow of sunshine upon it took [us] in a fancy to a fairyland of sunshine”.

“The Bioscope”, november 27 1908, about a screening at the Alhambra cinema in London, after L’Empreinte ou La Main rouge and before L’Assassinat du Duc de Guise.