 During filming, L'Herbier was injured when a camera fell on him, and he consequently lost the sight of one eye.He began a court action against the producers Pathé, claiming their civil responsibility, and the eventual judgment of the case (1938) in his favour recognised for the first time in French law the right of the director to be considered as an author of his film, rather than merely as an employee of the company.This marked an important stage in L'Herbier's lifelong battle for greater recognition of filmmakers as creative artists.