Film maker and vintner Francis Ford Coppola and Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Cigar Aficionado and Wine Spectator, co-hosted a 65-piece symphonic orchestral presentation of Abel Gance's 1927 silent film masterpiece "Napoleon" at the Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery in California this past October. Net proceeds benefited The North Beach Homeless Project and The Culinary Institute of America, both based in San Francisco.

Born in 1889, Abel Gance is recognized as one of the greatest directors in history. "Napoleon" is his indisputable masterpiece, and introduced Gance's invention -- Polyvision -- in several three-screen sequences, one of which survives in Kevin Brownlow's restoration revived worldwide in 1981 by American Zoetrope and Robert A. Harris. The onset of sound movies and difficulties involved in showing the original film meant that "Napoleon" was not widely seen in its original form. Gance met Carmine Coppola in 1980, and lived to experience the enormous success of the movie's revival in January 1981 at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Carmine Coppola composed an original music score for the revival of "Napoleon" which has been shown on synchronized three-screen Polyvision with live orchestra accompaniment in many major U.S. cities and world capitals.

More Napoleonic Calendar

Napoleonic Courses by Mail
Correct Phone Numbers
Sword of the Emperor at Fontainebleu
Abel Gance's Silent Film: Napoleon
Upcoming Events

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