- Title: FRANCE: 50 YEARS OF CANNES FILM FESTIVAL
- Date: 30th April 1997
- Summary: CANNES, FRANCE (FILE) (RTV LIBRARY - ACCESS ALL) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) (FILE - 1949) (MONO) BRITISH GAUMONT NEWS REPORT ON CANNES WIDE VIEW OF HARBOUR PEOPLE LOOKING AT FESTIVAL POSTERS FOR 1949 / ONE POSTER ADVERTISING FILMS IN ENGLISH EXTERIOR OF VENUE AUSTRIAN ACTOR/ DIRECTOR ERICH VON STROHEIM DRINKING STARS IN AUDIENCE EDWARD G ROBINSON AT MICROPH
- Embargoed: 15th May 1997 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: CANNES, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVAZEJOB80AD9GR6UFYB3LIHPLK
- Story Text: The world's most glamourous film festival is about to turn fifty. Since bursting through the post-war gloom in 1947, Cannes has become the epitome of celluloid extravagance.
Stars, starlets, publicists, press, hopefuls and hangers-on flock to the famous Croisette every year to preview, buy, sell and simply ogle the 'next big thing' in cinema.
This year's anniversary will involve many of the stars who have climbed the famous stairs at the Palais des Festivals in previous years.
Sophia Loren will be there - she was a fixture at the festival in the 60's as she progressed from starlet to leading lady.
Elizabeth Taylor, Francis Ford Coppola and Michael Jackson are also tipped to appear.
But many will recall those early years - when a pretty girl frolicking in the waves was assured of having her picture taken.
While 1997 is billed as the 50th anniversary, the first film festival was actually held in 1946. Only a few hundred people turned up, and the event fizzled.
In fact, organisers first tried to stage the festival in 1939, but it was called off when Hitler invaded Poland two days before its September 1 opening.
These days its also hard to believe the 1948 and 1950 festivals were called off due to financial difficulties.
By the mid-fifties though, the event was well established.
Princess Grace, Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren joined Orson Welles and legendary French directer Jean Cocteau at the resort.
With the arrival of the bikini, the 60's saw scantier costumes on the beach - and sometimes they were discarded completely.
Brigitte Bardot returned to the festival in 1967 after boycotting the event for ten years. She was miffed at being turned away from a garden party a decade earlier.
Through the seventies and eighties the festival became more commercial, and the stars more distant, hidden behind layers of publicists and security guards.
In 1975 a bomb exploded at the artists' entrance to the Palais just hours before the festival was to open, but the event went ahead without further incident.
Last year's Golden Palm winner, British director Mike Leigh, admits he prefers smaller, less glamourous festivals. But Cannes once again proved to be a pointer to Oscar success nine months later.
This year more than 4000 producers and directors, 4000 journalists and up to 50,000 visitors will crowd the Mediterranean resort.
A special parade and the arrival of French president Jacques Chirac will mark the 50th anniversary. Once again, Cannes is preparing to party. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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