Woman pens inaugural feature film in Quebec
In the early 1920s, Emma Gendron made her mark on the Canadian film industry, becoming one of the first women to write and script Quebecois fiction feature films.
Born in Helsingfors (now Helsinki) or Saint-Barnabé, in Mauricie, Gendron's life took a dramatic turn when her studies were interrupted by her father's financial difficulties. She held subaltern jobs before publishing short stories and serial novels in the journal Le Samedi. Her popularity grew, and she held a very popular column titled Manon's Mail in the same journal.
Gendron's first foray into film was the theater piece Namounah, staged in April 1922 at the New Empire Theater, in Montreal. However, her significant contributions to cinema began with the first genuine Quebecois fiction feature film, Madeleine de Verchères, in 1922. Joseph-Arthur Homier, a professional photographer and jack-of-all-trades, turned to the seventh art and shot Madeleine de Verchères, with Gendron as the scriptwriter. The film, while not as successful as the popular film Robin Hood (1922), marked a milestone in Quebec cinema.
Following the success of Madeleine de Verchères, Homier founded Le Bon Cinéma, a company dedicated to the production of Canadian fiction feature films. In 1923, he and Gendron collaborated on a second film, The Fatal Drug. This contemporary film about drug trafficking, for which Gendron wrote the 16-page scenario, was shot at various locations, including Bordeaux prison, Women's Prison, the recorder's court, and a small studio on Labelle Street.
The Fatal Drug received generally favorable reviews but struggled to compete with American productions. The film was presented at Théâtre St-Denis on January 20, 1924. Gendron's name was highlighted in an advertisement for the film, emphasizing her role as the scenario writer.
After Homier's death in 1934, Gendron married a British-origin draftsman and turned her focus to pedagogical periodicals, founding a publishing house for popular novels, and opening a medicinal plant store. In 1925, she and Homier founded La revue de Manon, where they discussed their next film project, Les fils de la liberté, which unfortunately never materialized due to lack of funds.
Despite the loss of all reels of Homier's films, including those of Madeleine de Verchères and The Fatal Drug, due to their flammable nature on nitrate cellulose film, Emma Gendron's contributions to Quebec cinema remain significant. Her pioneering work paved the way for future women in the industry and cemented her place in the history of Canadian cinema.
