Le Festival de Cannes et ses palais

In 1939, during preparations for the first Cannes Film Festival, the organisers already had their eye on future editions, coming up with the idea of a purpose-built palais to house the event. It should be mentioned that, two years earlier, Venice inaugurated its own Palazzo del Cinema, a huge auditorium for film screenings during the Biennale. But Cannes would have to wait a few years; the war, then lack of money, meant the project had to be postponed.
The story of the Cannes Film Festival’s first palais starts at the beginning of last century. In 1898, the Hôtel Gallia closed its doors. As a result, the Casino des Fleurs, housed within its walls, disappeared from the Cannes map. The city council of the time decided to give Cannes a new gambling establishment. Tourism was taking off and building new infrastructure had become a priority.
The new casino opened in 1907, near the Albert-Edouard pier, at the beginning of the Boulevard de la Croisette. Extensions carried out after the First World War meant the building was in a position to host countless society events. Thanks to its efficient manager, Mr André, the establishment called upon well-known architects to add touches like an American bar and a sumptuous Ambassadors’ Lounge. Thus set off to advantage, the casino became a real tourist attraction and its gala evenings proved a great success.
When, in 1939, the city of Cannes signed the contract to organise the International Film Festival, the French State sought guarantees and, as a top priority, a suitable venue for the event. There was even a clause concerning the projection-room equipment, intended to become a symbol of French hi-tech. The city casino, run by the city council, was an obvious choice to house the projection room for films in the competition. And its hall was the chosen venue for the film screenings. Mr Février, the building’s architect, was called upon to draw up the plans for installing the cinematographic equipment. Negotiations got under way with various acoustic and cinematographic hardware companies in order to settle upon a price for the hire of the equipment.
One thousand seats were ordered by the Cannes organisers for the auditorium, together with sound and projection equipment and a wide screen. In addition, an engineer and two operators were hired to take care of the technical issues. The quotation came to 140 000 francs, on top of which had to be added the purchase of a fabric to cover the walls for improved acoustics, thirteen fans and carpeting worth 65 000 francs.
Work was completed within two months. The auditorium was opened by the Mayor of Cannes, Pierre Nouveau, who took the opportunity to pay tribute to the citizens of Cannes, without whose efforts an accomplishment on such a scale would not have been possible: “The installation was carried out in record time thanks to the firms and workers of Cannes, who immediately understood the reasons behind the task that was asked of them,” said Mr Nouveau.
The auditorium was richly decorated and seated an audience of one thousand. From August onwards, the public could book their seats. Individual and season tickets were available for purchase at all Cannes hotels and branches of the Agences Havas news agency in Nice and Monte Carlo. Screenings for members of the jury, foreign delegates and journalists had to take place in an adjoining auditorium a quarter of an hour prior to those intended for the other festival-goers. The only private screening to take place in this auditorium in 1939 was that of William Dieterle’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, a few days before war was declared and the Cannes festivities were immediately interrupted.
Their gamble had paid off, yet the Cannes organisers were well aware that these hasty measures were only temporary. As early as the first edition, they contemplated building a proper palais; the site was chosen and scale models were produced, for a venue with twice the capacity. It was hoped that everything would be ready in time for the 1940 Festival, but once again the war meant there was nothing for it but to abandon the project until a later date. In 1946, with the revival and realisation of the first Cannes Film Festival, the construction project rematerialised. Within the space of just a few years, the Palais, so eagerly awaited, would open its doors. The third Cannes Film Festival went ahead, despite the building being not quite completed.