 L'Herbier had discovered the work of the playwright and novelist Luigi Pirandello during 1923 and was eager to introduce his ideas to the cinema.He chose the novel "Il fu Mattia Pascal", and was delighted when Pirandello's mistrust of filmmakers was overcome and he agreed for the first time to the filming of one of his works.The film "Feu Mathias Pascal" (1925) featured the expatriate Russian actor Ivan Mosjoukine in the leading role, and it became successful with critics and the public.