Léon Gaumont founded the Gaumont manufacturing company in 1895 and went on to become a major innovator in the development of motion picture equipment and, next to Charles Pathé, one of the most powerful, important figures in the development of early French Cinema. His biggest success was the chronotographe, a camera-projection device engineered by Georges Demeny. Soon afterward, Gaumont opened his own production company and utilized Alice Guy as his prime director through 1907. Several other noted directors later worked for Gaumont including Louis Feuillade and Jacques Feyder. In 1902, Gaumont developed the Chronophone, basically a record player synchronized to the action on screen. The Gaumont company soon expanded to labs and movie theaters throughout France. By 1908 the company began opening operations in Britain, Germany, the U.S. and Russia. He also continued working on the Chronophone and in 1912 publicly exhibited a series of early talkies in Paris. In 1918, he demonstrated his Chronochrome three-color system. By 1928, Gaumont had engineered a new kind of sound system and it was used to produce the first French sound film Eau de Nil. Unfortunately, the system proved impractical and was discarded. Gaumont retired in 1929.
by Sandra Brennan
biography
