Felix Bouvier was a man from Burgundy who found fortune in 1920s and 1930s Shanghai. He is famous for having created the Auditorium performance hall where customers could bet on Hai Alai games. He even more famous to have created the Canidrome complex that including a the best dancin and entertainment venue of the time, as well as dog race course. A central character of the French Concession, he was also involved in real-estate, financing the construction of many of its Art deco buildings, mostly designed by LVK, that are still there today.
A great documentary about this larger than life character has recently been unveiled. It was made for French tv and has received raving reviews. I just watched it and it’s really worth it as it contains many footages about Old Shanghai, including previously unseen ones from the Bouvier family.
It is available (in French only) at https://www.france.tv/france-5/la-case-du-siecle/8801052-le-roi-de-shanghai.html. It has also been uploaded on French video site Daily Motion (click on this link to access it). Hopefully an English version will be made available later.
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