Napoleon (1955) Original Movie Poster

Napoleon, the classic 1927 (released in the U.S. in 1929)  French Napoleonic War silent biographical historical military melodrama (about the life of Napoleon, starting from when he was a young boy, and carrying through to when he became Emperor of Europe) starring Albert Dieudonne (in the title role as the famous French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte), Paul Amiot, Annabella (in her first film), Antonin Artaud, Edmond Van Daele, and Abel Gance(as Louis Saint-Just). Note that this movie was the masterpiece of director Abel Gance. It included "triptych" (triple screen) images that predated Cinerama by 30 years, and it is really a remarkable movie on every level. But sadly, it was a silent movie, and sound had just begun, and the movie was not successful, and Gance removed it from circulation and was thought to have destroyed the original movie. In 1981, Francis Ford Coppola financed a restoration by Kevin Brownlow, a silent-film historian and filmmaker. It was presented in Great Britain with a new musical score by Carl Davis. Coppola's father, Carmine, composed (and adapted other period classical pieces) the score that was used for the U.S. and worldwide (except Great Britain) exhibitions.