1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Welcome back to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:10,600 Speaker 1: where we reveal a new piece of history every day. 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: Today is September. The day was September nine, the first 5 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:33,239 Speaker 1: ever Can Film Festival began in cann France. The festival 6 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: is now an important showcase for films from all over 7 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: the world and is attended by tens of thousands of people. 8 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: The Can Film Festival was supposed to debut in September 9 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: of nineteen nine. By that time, the Venice Film Festival 10 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 1: had been held annually for several years and was giving 11 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: out awards for films. But the Venice Film Festival had 12 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: also been tainted by fascists and Nazi propaganda. So France, 13 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: with the support of the U S and Britain, decided 14 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: to establish its own international film festival. The press even 15 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: reported on the opening of the film festival in nineteen 16 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: thirty nine. One article Time magazine published in July of 17 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,119 Speaker 1: that year noted the influence of Mussolini on the Venice 18 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: Film Festival. It said, quote two years ago be Mussolini 19 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: began to take a personal political interest in the cinema business, 20 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: and last year Cinema industries not betted in the Rome 21 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 1: Berlin Axis began to fill its centrifugal force. The number 22 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 1: one prize, the Mussolini Cup, went jointly to not See 23 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:41,119 Speaker 1: Lenny Reffin Stalls nineteen thirty six Olympic Games film four 24 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: hours running time, and to Vitoria Mussolini's Luciano sera Pilota, 25 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: an ecstatic drama of Italian wings over Ethiopia. The article 26 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: went on to say that the Canned Film Festival would 27 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: be held that year from September three to seventeen. A 28 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: Casino and Can agreed to host the festival. Films were 29 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: selected to be showcased at the festival and filmmakers began 30 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: traveling to the city in August, but World War Two 31 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: broke out in September, bringing plans for an international film 32 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:14,799 Speaker 1: festival and Can to a halt. Once World War two 33 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 1: was over, France returned to the idea of hosting a 34 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: film festival and Can to bring tourists back to the area. 35 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: On September twentie nine, the Canned Film Festival opened at 36 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: a Casino. Twenty one countries presented films at the inaugural festival, 37 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: though there were awards given there was no Palm Madore, 38 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: which is the award given for the best film at 39 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: CAN Today. A New York Times article noted that no 40 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: prize was given for a single best film for quote 41 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: diplomatic reasons, but an international Jury prize was given to 42 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: the Battle of the Rails by Renee Clement. Nine films 43 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:55,800 Speaker 1: were given the Grand Prix, the highest prize at the time. 44 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: Some of the films shown were The Lost Weekend by 45 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: Lee Wilder, Wet Paint by Walt Disney, Gaslight by George Kuker, 46 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: and Beauty and the Beast by Jean Cocteau. The festival 47 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: struggled for the next several years. In nineteen forty seven, 48 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: the festival faced financial difficulties and inefficiency. The building that 49 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: was supposed to host the event, the Palais de Festival, 50 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: was not finished, and the film roles for Alfred Hitchcock's 51 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: Notorious were shown in reverse order. In nineteen forty and 52 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty the can Film Festival was not held at 53 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: all because of budgetary issues, but by nineteen fifty two 54 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: the Palais de Festival was the permanent home for the festival. 55 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 1: The festival also moved to Spring so that it was 56 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: not in direct competition with the Venice Film Festival. Since then, 57 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: the Canned Film Festival has attracted more tourists impressed attention, 58 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: has dealt with more challenges of festival production, and has 59 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: been the subject of a number of controversies. It is 60 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: now considered one of the most prestigious film festivals in 61 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: the world. I'm each jef Code and hopefully you know 62 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 63 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: And if you're so inclined, you can follow us at 64 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:20,599 Speaker 1: t D I h C Podcasts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. 65 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: We'll be back with more history tomorrow. For more podcasts 66 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:33,919 Speaker 1: from I Heeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 67 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.