Jeanne Dore (1939) Reviews

Unlike many of director Mario Bonnard's films, which for various reasons took forever to obtain American distributors Jeanne Dore was released in the U.S. only a few months after its Italian premiere. The magnificent Emma Gramatica plays the title character, the mother of handsome young Jacques Dore (Leonardo Cortese). When the gorgeous but selfish Mme. Perodot (Evi Maltagliati) falls into the clutches of an oily moneylender, Jacques nobly comes to her rescue by killing the bounder. As Jacques is sent away for a 20-year prison term, his mother suffers and suffers with silent nobility. The film is designed to contrast the lifestyles of the selfless Jeanne Dore and the avaricious Mme. Perodot, and in this it succeeds; in terms of originality, however, the film doesn't have much to offer outside of Bonnard's always clever direction. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi