The 9th Cannes Film Festival took place from 23 April to 10 May 1956. French actor, director and producer Maurice Lehmann served as jury president for the main competition.
The Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, was awarded to The Silent World by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Louis Malle.
In an effort to resolve some issues caused by the Cold War climate of the time, like special treatment towards Americans (who gave financial assistance to the festival) which displeased the Eastern Bloc, a rule to have films withdrawn under certain conditions was in effect until 1955, even though it had become a divisive issue within the festival directors, as it was seen as censorship. In 1956, it was officially decided to eliminate all such censorship from the selection.
The festival opened with Marie Antoinette Queen of France by Jean Delannoy and closed with The Roof by Vittorio De Sica.
Juries
Main competition Maurice Lehmann, French actor, director and producer - Jury President Arletty, French actress Louise Lévêque de Vilmorin, French writer and journalist Jacques-Pierre Frogerais, French Henri Jeanson, French writer and journalist Domenico Meccoli, Italian writer Otto Preminger, Austrian-American filmmaker and actor James Quinn, British film administrator, producer and exhibitor Roger Regent, French María Romero, Chilean Sergei Vasilyev, Soviet filmmaker and actor
Short films competition Francis Bolen, Belgian Antonín Brousil, Czechoslovak Henri Fabiani, French Paul Grimault, French filmmaker Jean Perdrix, French filmmaker
Official selection
In competition The following feature films competed for the Palme d'Or: English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryAfternoon of the BullsTarde de torosLadislao VajdaSpainChrist in Bronze青銅の基督Minoru ShibuyaJapanDaliborVáclav KrškaCzechoslovakiaDrumsticksShevagyachya ShengaShantaram AthavaleIndiaA Girl in BlackΤο Κορίτσι με τα ΜαύραMichael CacoyannisGreeceHankaSlavko VorkapichYugoslaviaThe Harder They FallMark RobsonUnited StatesThe Hidden OneLa escondidaRoberto GavaldónMexicoI Live in Fear生きものの記録Akira KurosawaJapanI'll Cry TomorrowDaniel MannUnited StatesItem OneТочка първаBoyan DanovskiBulgariaThe LeechShabab emraaSalah Abu SeifEgyptThe Man in the Gray Flannel SuitNunnally JohnsonUnited StatesMarie Antoinette Queen of FranceMarie-Antoinette reine de FranceJean DelannoyFrance, ItalyMerry-Go-RoundKörhintaZoltán FábriHungaryMotherМатьMark DonskoySoviet UnionMozartKarl HartlAustriaThe Mystery of PicassoLe mystère PicassoHenri-Georges ClouzotFranceOthelloОтеллоSergei YutkevichSoviet UnionPather PanchaliSatyajit RayIndiaThe Phantom Horse幻の馬Koji ShimaJapanThe Protar AffairAfacerea ProtarHaralambie BorosRomaniaThe Railroad ManIl ferrovierePietro GermiItalyRoad to LifeПедагогическая поэмаAleksei Maslyukov and Mechislava MayevskayaSoviet UnionThe RoofIl tettoVittorio De SicaItalySeagulls Die in the HarbourMeeuwen sterven in de havenRoland Verhavert, Ivo Michiels and Rik KuypersBelgiumSeven Years in TibetHans NieterUnited KingdomShadowCieńJerzy KawalerowiczPolandThe Silent WorldLe Monde du silenceJacques Cousteau and Louis MalleFranceSmiles of a Summer NightSommarnattens leendeIngmar BergmanSwedenSob o Céu da BahiaErnesto RemaniBrazilTalpaAlfredo B. CrevennaMexicoEl Último perroLucas DemareArgentinaThe Unwilling DoctorToubib el affiaHenry JacquesMoroccoWalk Into ParadiseLee RobinsonAustralia, FranceWild LoveGli innamoratiMauro BologniniItalyYield to the NightJ. Lee ThompsonUnited Kingdom
Short films competition The following short films competed for the Short Film Palme d'Or:
Aéroport de Luxembourg by Philippe Schneider Andre Modeste Gretry by Lucien Deroisy Le ballon rouge by Albert Lamorisse Bwana Kitoko by André Cauvin Ciganytanc by Tamas Banovich Columbia Musical Travelark: Wonders of Manhattan by Harry Foster La corsa delle rocche by Gian Luigi Polidoro Crne vode by Rudolf Sremec En de zee was niet meer by Bert Haanstra The Face of Lincoln by Edward Freed Festival Melody (Melodii festivalia) by Jerzy Bossak, R. Grigoriev, Ilya Kopalin, Iosif Poselski Fuji wa ikiteiru by Kenji Shimomura Gateway To the Antarctic by Duncan Carse Gerald McBoing on Planet Moo or Gerald McBoing! Boing! on Planet Moo by Robert Cannon Growing Coconuts by Fali Bilimoria Horizons nouveaux by Kurt Baum Karius and Bactus (Karius og Baktus) by Ivo Caprino Kati és a vadmacska by Ágoston Kollányi Katsura rikyu by Minoru Kuribayashi Loutky Jiriho Trnky by Bruno Sefranek Magdana's Donkey (Lurdzha Magdany) by Tengiz Abuladze and Rezo Chkheidze Marinica by Ion Popescu-Gopo Nicolae Grigorescu by Ion Bostan Parabola d'oro by Vittorio De Seta Les pécheurs du cap by Errol Hinds Portrait of Soutland by Peter Roger Hunt Povest za tirnovgrad by Yuri Arnaudov Salut à la France by Ric Eyrich, Thomas L. Rowe Salzburger Impressionen by Prof. Hanns Wagula The Shepherd by Julian Biggs Stvoreni syeta by E. Hofman Svedocanstva o tesli by Vladimir Pogacic Tant qu'il y aura des bêtes by Braissai Teatr lalek by Marian Ussorowski Together by Lorenza Mazzetti Tovarishch ukhodit v more by Nikita Kurikhin Vand fra eufrat by Theodor Christensen
Official awards
Main competition Palme d'Or: The Silent World by Jacques Cousteau and Louis Malle Jury Special Prize: The Mystery of Picasso by Henri-Georges Clouzot Best Director: Sergei Yutkevich for Othello Best Acting Award: Susan Hayward for I'll Cry Tomorrow Best Human Document: Pather Panchali by Satyajit Ray Best Poetic Humour: Smiles of a Summer Night by Ingmar Bergman
Short films competition Short Film Palme d'Or: The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse Best Fiction Film: Magdana's Donkey by Tengiz Abuladze and Revaz Chkheidze Best Documentary: Andre Modeste Gretry by Lucien Deroisy La corsa delle rocche by Gian Luigi Polidoro Special Mention: The Puppets of Jiri Trnka by Bruno Sefranek Special Mention - Investigative Film: Together by Lorenza Mazzetti Tant qu'il y aura des bêtes by Braissai
Independent awards
OCIC Award The Roof by Vittorio De Sica Special Mention: The Railroad Man by Pietro Germi The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit by Nunnally Johnson Pather Panchali by Satyajit Ray
References
Media
British Pathé: Cannes Film Festival 1956 footage British Pathé: Originals Cannes Film Festival 1956 footage British Pathé: "Stars in the sun" 1956 Festival footage INA: Atmosphere at the 1956 Festival (commentary in French) INA: Opening of the 1956 festival (commentary in French) INA: Closing evening of the 1956 Festival (commentary in French)
External links 1956 Cannes Film Festival (web.archive) Official website Retrospective 1956 Cannes Film Festival:1956 at Internet Movie Database