William Vert Alain Robbe Grillet Jean (1 results)

First Edition. Archive of research materials used by William F. Van Wert in preparing his dissertation "The Theory and Practice of the Cine-Roman" (Arno Press, 1978). Included are responses to a questionnaire and an album of film stills. Focusing on the filmmakers of the Rive Gauche movement, which slightly preceded the French New Wave and ran parallel through the 1960s, Van Wert wanted to explore the literary influence on the works of the movement's principle filmmakers, an aspect he felt separated them from their "Cahiers" counterparts. He sent the directors a twenty-question survey, to which he received amicable responses from Alain Robbe-Grillet, Henri Colpi, and Jean Cayrol. Alain Robbe-Grillet provides a generous response directly on the questionnaire, with his comments in blue and red manuscript ink throughout. He describes his reactions to contemporary filmmakers, how Godard's works were influential but the work of Truffaut and Chabrol were absolutely not, and numerically ranking the importance of each aspect of filmmaking, such as the editing, soundtrack, and directing actors, and signs his form, "bien cordialement / Robbe-Grillet" at the top right corner of the first leaf. Jean Cayrol responds with a two-leaf typed letter signed. Cayrol, who collaborated with Alain Rensais on "Night and Fog" (1955) and "Muriel" (1963), invites Van Wert to tape a conversation in Paris because of an expressed difficulty in easily articulating his ideas in writing. Henri Colpi responds with a four leaf, six page autograph letter signed on his printed stationery (some leaves recto and verso, some recto only). Colpi was the director of the 1961 Palme d'Or winning "Une aussi longue absence," and writes the most thorough response, addressing each of Van Wert's questions in detail. Included are 142 original 4 x 6 inch vernacular photographs taken during screenings held by Van Wert using prints obtained from Grove, New Yorker Films, and others. The photos were ostensibly used as visual references by Van Wert while researching the films referenced in his book. Included are photographs from three films: "L'Immortelle" (Robbe-Grillet, 1963), "L'Opera mouffe" (Agnes Varda, 1958), and "Night and Fog" (Resnais, 1955). Photographs Fine, housed in the photo binder used by Van Wert, binder Very Good plus with minor chipping and light soiling. Letters 8.5 x 11 inches to 8.5 x 11.5 inches. Very Good overall, housed in a supplied binder. Also included as reference are Van Wert's books "The Theory and Practice of the Cine-Roman," First Edition, Near Fine with minor rubbing, and a later printing of "The Film Career of Alain Robbe-Grillet," Very Good in wrappers. Criterion Collection 238. Vogel US.