André Desiré Carré Andre Carre

French cameraman

An operator for the Lumières, André Carré gave his first film show in Belgrade, assisted by the mechanic Jules Guérin, with both under the guidance of A. Velhora, a Lyons businessman who also arrived in Belgrade at the same time and was probably the Lumière concessionaire for the region. Following the usual pattern for a travelling Lumière showman, Carré gave a press screening for journalists on 5 June 1896, opened to the public in the hall 'Aux Croix d'Or' of a former restaurant on 6 June, and on 16 June ran their Cinématographe for King Alexander and Queen Mother Natalia, who expressed astonishment at the show. Carré and Guérin closed in Belgrade on 18 June and Carré is lost to history for half a year. In February 1897 he was back in Belgrade at the Grand Hotel, and on 6 March made the first films in the area, showing King Alexander departing his palace and on his way to the cathedral. Carré also travelled through Zagreb and Zemun, becoming a part of the band of travelling showmen who opened up the further regions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Balkans; in Sarajevo, Angelo Curiel with a programme of Lumière films on 17 July 1897; in Karlovy Vary the Eugène Dupont agent Goldschmidt with a Lumière Cinématographe programme in July 1896; the showman Charles Crassé with unidentified equipment in Celje, Ljubljana and Maribor (all Slovenia) in Autumn 1896 (he was in Klagenfurt, Austria with 'Edison's Ideal' from 29 November to 5 December 1896); and the Oeser brothers, whose travelling show added motion pictures in late Autumn 1896 for their regular tour of the markets and fairs in Czech districts.

Deac Rossell