[3] He eventually acquired the largest French motion picture studio, Pathé, in 1929, just prior to the Great Depression.

[4] Pathé collapsed in 1935, and Natan was the subject of false and antisemitic accusations of fraud,[5] and was ultimately convicted and imprisoned by French authorities.

He was cited twice, wounded, and awarded the Croix de Guerre,[2] and was demobilized in October 1918, holding the rank of sergeant.

[11] Natan worked as a projectionist, film lab chemist, titles designer, cinematographer and producer during his early years in Paris.

[12][8] In late February 1929, Bernard Natan acquired the production and exhibition businesses of Pathé, then the largest French motion picture company.

[9][10][13] Natan attempted to steady Pathé's finances and implement modern film industry practices at the studio.

Natan acquired another film studio, Société des Cinéromans, from Arthur Bernède and Gaston Leroux, which enabled Pathé to expand into projector and electronics manufacturing.

Natan also launched two new cinema-related magazines, Pathé-Revue and Actualités Féminines, to help market Pathé's films and build consumer demand for cinema.

Under Natan, Pathé also funded the research of Henri Chrétien, who developed the anamorphic lens (a technology which later led to the creation of CinemaScope and other widescreen film formats common today).

Although the company continued to make a profit (as noted above) for a time, the acquisitions meant they lost more money than it could bring in.

[14] French authorities pursued charges of fraud against Natan, including financing the purchase of the company without any collateral, of bilking investors by establishing fictitious shell corporations, and financial mismanagement.

[16] Slade wrote that nearly all French pornographic films from this period which include bisexual and homosexual content were produced by Natan.

[3] World War II broke out while Natan was in prison awaiting trial, and Nazi Germany conquered France.

The anamorphic lens was not only a major advance in film technology, but helped Hollywood survive during the early years of television.

[19][20] Before 2014 there was no public acknowledgement of Natan at La Fémis, the French national film school, despite it having moved into one of his former studios in 1999.