Armand Denis was a renowned filmmaker, recognized for his captivating documentaries that explored the wonders of Africa. Born on December 2, 1896, in Brussels, he was the son of a judge and began his journey with a passion for chemistry, studying at Oxford University after serving in World War One.
After working as a chemist in England and Belgium, he moved to America in 1926, where his invention of an automatic volume control for radio provided him with the financial means to pursue his true calling - filmmaking. He started his career as a cameraman in Hollywood during the late silent era, before collaborating with Andre Roosevelt to travel to Bali in 1928.
The duo documented their journey on film, capturing the beauty and culture of the island. As part of Roosevelt's aspirations to develop the tourist industry in Bali, they created the 1932 movie "Goona-Goona, An Authentic Melodrama", which they co-produced and co-directed. The film's success led to the creation of a re-edited version, released in 1932, which became a hit, sparking a Bali craze in the United States.
Denis's marriage to Leila Roosevelt, Andre's daughter, resulted in four children. He capitalized on the success of the film and directed the 1934 African jungle adventure film "Wild Cargo", starring Frank Buck. The couple then traveled to the Belgian Congo in 1934-35, capturing sound footage that could be used in movies set in Africa. They released the music commercially and created a movie of their trip, "Wheels Across Africa", in 1936.
In the 1930s and '40s, Denis and Leila continued to produce documentary shorts. However, Denis divorced his wife and married English dress designer Michaela Holdsworth in 1948. Along with Michaela, he continued to make documentaries in Africa, contributing regularly to the BBC and ITV. Their TV program "Filming Wild Animals" was broadcast on the British Broadcasting Co. in 1954.
Armand Denis passed away on April 15, 1971, at the age of 74, due to Parkinson's disease.
