Louis J. Gasnier, a French film director, was born on September 15, 1875, in Paris. Initially, he worked in theatre before being hired by Pathé to direct films during the early days of cinema. Gasnier directed comedian Max Linder in many of his early short comedies.
In 1912, Gasnier emigrated to the United States, where he gained recognition by working on several prestigious productions. Notably, he collaborated with Pearl White on the serial The Perils of Pauline and made several other star vehicles with her.
However, Gasnier's career declined with the advent of sound, and he was subsequently confined to making low-budget B movies. His most famous film, although not for artistic reasons, is the anti-marijuana opus Reefer Madness, made in 1936. The film's over-preachy, over-the-top propaganda message has earned it a dedicated cult following, which remains strong to this day.
The film is widely available in the public domain and on DVD, and has been frequently shown on many terrestrial and cable TV channels, remarkably so for an ultra-cheap exploitation movie from the 1930s that had very limited distribution upon its original release.
After Reefer Madness, Gasnier made an additional eight films before retiring in 1941. He passed away in Hollywood at the age of 87.
