Christian de la Maziere at Cannes and Referendum Cinematographique film festivals (Archive of original correspondence and film ephemera)

Cannes, France: Cinedis, 1959. Archive of correspondence and film ephemera from representatives at Cinedis and UniFrance Films regarding Christian de la Maziere, briefly the impresario of press relations (and former Waffen-SS soldier) at Cinedis, detailing his participation at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival and at a few Referendum Cinematographique festivals in Vichy.

Represented in the archive are 27 leaves, several being checklists detailing in manuscript ink and pencil the names of various film stars and their corresponding hotel stays during the 1959 Cannes festival, notably the Carlton Hotel (several leaves of the hotel's stationery), (truncated) the Martinez, the Montfleury, and the Majestic. On Cinedis parchment, Maziere is stated as the presenter of Renato Castellanis' women's prison exploitation film, .".and the Wild, Wild Women" ('L'Enfer dans la ville"), and on Francinex parchment (Italian language) as presenting the same film in lieu of Georges Cravenne, a head official at Cinedis. Also included are several carbon typescript leaves of correspondence between A. Bailly, general secretary at the Referendum Cinematographique, and de la Maziere, regarding his participation in the 1957 festival and the showing of Jean Boyer's "Senechal the Magnificent," as well as participation in the 1955 and 1959 festivals. An original program for the 1957 festival, and parking passes for the 1959 festival, are also present.

Christian de la Maziere (1922-2006) was a journalist and member of the Charlemagne Division of the Waffen SS, and was featured in Marcel Ophuls 1969 documentary "The Sorrow and the Pity," discussing his role in WWII. He also worked for the fascist newspaper "Le Pays Libre" before joining Charlemagne, and in 1974 he wrote "The Captive Dreamer." His involvement at Vichy and the Waffen SS was pardoned before his career in press and film relations, and he apparently garnered some postwar celebrity.

Items range in size, the largest being 8.25 x 10.5 inches, the smallest being 5 x 7.5 inches (hotel stationery). Most folded horizontally for postal purposes. Very Good plus overall.

Complete details available upon request. (Inventory #: 140759)