Maximilienne Movies

Scandals of Clochemerie proved that Hollywood filmmakers had no monopoly so far as poking fun at the movie industry is concerned. This French effort is a glorious lampoon of the "typical" Gallic film, complete with broadly caricatured characters and deliberately exaggerated cliches. Adapted by Gabriel Chevalier from his own novel, the film revolves around the construction of a comfort station in the village of Clochemerie. This momentous undertaking has serious ramifications on the community, not least of which is the exposure of several family skeletons. The film ran into censorship trouble in the States, not just because of its erotic content and occasional religious satire, but also because, at base, the film is about an open-air toilet facility. Originally released in France in 1947 as Clochemerie, the film proved an enormous success during its initial run; as such, it was the last truly profitable venture from veteran filmmaker Pierre Chenal, once the darling of the Parisian critics. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Director Henri-Georges Clouzot's maiden feature-length effort was the intricate mystery thriller The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (L'Assassin habite au 21). Businesslike homicide detective Wens (Pierre Fresnay) goes on the prowl for a methodical mass murderer, who seemingly manages to be everywhere at once. Following a confusing trail of clues to a seedy boarding house, Wens disguises himself as a clergyman in order to gain the confidence of the boarders, hoping that one of them will make "that fatal slip." All of the boarders are eventually taken into custody, only to be released when the murders continue unabated. Wens cracks the case when he figures out that the seemingly contradictory clues are the by-product of a bizarre conspiracy. Filmed in 1942 under wartime conditions, The Murderer Lives at Number 21 was finally released in the U.S. five years later. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Its title translates as Record 413, but Disque 413 is actually the French-language version of the British Guilty Melody. Singing star Gitta Alper repeats her role as opera diva La Salvini, who falls in love with British intelligence agent Richard Maury (Jules Berry, replacing the English version's John Loder). She is confronted by her despicable husband (Larquery), who threatens to ruin her career unless La Salvini does his bidding. He forces her to make a phonograph record containing a secret code message intended for the Enemy. For a while, the British secret service think that our heroine is a musical Mata Hari, but all is set right in the final moments. Both Guilty Melody and Disque 13 are based on a novel by Hans Rehfisch. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Liliom, Ferenc Molnar's bittersweet fantasy play, was first filmed in Hollywood in 1930, with Charles Farrell as ne'er-do-well carnival barker Liliom and Rose Hobart as his long-suffering wife Julie. While that version is not available for public viewing, the 1935 French-language version directed by Fritz Lang and starring Charles Boyer is currently being offered by several home-video warehouses--albeit in an undubbed, unsubtitled print. Boyer plays Liliom, who runs the carousel at a Budapest amusement park. He impulsively quits his job when he falls in love with mill-worker Julie (Madeleine Ozeray). A terrible husband and provider, Liliom panics when he discovers he's about to become a father. He enters into a get-rich-quick robbery scheme with his unsavory pal Alfred (Alcover), but the plan goes awry. Rather than allow himself to be arrested, Liliom kills himself, whereupon his soul is transported via an art-deco express train to the waiting room of Heaven. A celestial judge determines that Liliom will not get his wings until he returns to earth to do one good deed. Liliom materializes before his now-teenaged daughter, and tries to give her a star that he's stolen from heaven; when she panics, he impulsively slaps her. Considering himself a failure, Liliom wearily heads for Purgatory, but a coda shows that his visit has done a world of good for both his widow and his daughter. Liliom was later musicalized by Rodgers & Hammerstein as Carousel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Un De La Montagne (Mountain Man) stars Gustave Diesel as the title character, a young mountaineer named Jacques. Offered a huge sum if he successfully completes a dangerous climb, Jacques heads to the Swiss Alps, where all of his predecessors have met with disaster and/or death. According to contemporary reviewers, this is one of the few films to successfully capture the euphoria of mountain climbing; alas, currently available prints are far from pristine, dulling the film's impact. Real-life climbers, guides and skiers, most of them well known to European audiences, play "themselves." This film would make an ideal companion piece for Disney's 1959 actioner Third Man on the Mountain. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The title of this French musical comedy translates as For One Cent's Worth of Love. Star Andre Bauge sings a great deal during the first few reels, meaning that the plot proper doesn't get under way until the picture is half over. The story begins as a shipboard romance between Bauge and heroine Josseline Gael, with an abundance of product-placement "plugs" for a prominent French steamship line. Once our hero and heroine disembark in Africa (courtesy of library footage), Bauge sings some more, thoroughly enchanted Gael -- and, it is assumed, a goodly portion of the audience. Andre Bauge was a huge draw in France but was virtually unknown in the U.S.: accordingly, Pour un Sou D'Amour didn't receive much play in the States. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi