Françoise Rosay Movies
Parisian actress/singer Francoise Rosay enjoyed a starring career that spanned 61 years. After receiving her training at the Conservatoire National de Declamation, Francoise made her stage bow in 1908, originally intending to become an opera singer. In 1917, she turned to "straight" dramatics under the guidance of Jacques Feyder, whom she would later marry. Though she'd appeared sporadically in films since 1913, Rosay's first movie of note was Feyder's expressionist Crainquebille (1922). She came to Hollywood in 1929 to star in the French-language version of Norma Shearer's The Trial of Mary Dugan. She remained in California until multi-language productions went out of fashion in 1931; among her projects during this period was the German-language version of Parlor, Bedroom and Bath, in which she exchanged Teutonic witticisms with Buster Keaton. Rosay spent the World War II years in Switzerland, where she taught acting classes at the Conservatoire Geneve. Acting in international productions right up to her death, Ms. Rosay appeared in well over 100 films, delivering dialogue flawlessly in a multitude of languages. One of the best-loved figures of the French cinema, Rosay was the recipient of the Chevalier de Legion d'Honneur, and served on the executive boards of several arts-oriented organizations. Francoise Rosay was the author of two volumes of memoirs, Le Cinema notre Metier (1956) and La Traversee d'Un Vie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1932
Carmen Boni plays La Femme en Homme (The Woman Dressed as a Man) in this Gallic romp. The real star of the show, however, is Andre Dubosc, cast as a misogynistic old nobleman. Told that he is to take charge of his grandson, Dubosc is taken aback when he discovers that "he" is actually a "she." At first rejecting the girl, the old coot finally comes to love and accept her. Only the pronounced Italian accent of leading lady Carmen Boni detracts from the comic credibility of the tale. But after all, Boni was the wife of director Augusto Genina, whose impressive list of credits allowed him leeway to indulge in a bit of favoritism now and then. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carmen Boni, Françoise Rosay, (more)
- 1935
Released in France as La Kermesse Heroique, Carnival in Flanders is set during the long-ago war between the Dutch and Spanish. A tiny village in Flanders is invaded by Spanish troops. The townsfolk have heard of Spanish cruelties in other towns, and decide to deflect the vanquishers by playing dead. This isn't terribly effective (you have to take a breath once in a while), so the wife of the burgomaster tries to soften up the invaders with a lavish carnival. So successful is this venture that the Spaniards allow the village to escape being decimated, or even taxed. An award-winner many times over, Carnival in Flanders was banned in Germany; evidently, Goebbels caught on that director Jacques Feyder and scenarists Bernard Zimmer and Charles Spaak were drawing deliberate parallels between the Spanish and the then-burgeoning Nazis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Françoise Rosay, Jean Murat, (more)
- 1965
It is only with some reluctance that big-time hood Alphonse (Lino Ventura) allows himself to be persuaded that a major painting-theft planned by some formerly small-time gangsters is a good idea. He gives the idea his backing and support and winds up holding the bag for the crime as the others escape. On emerging from prison, he wreaks havoc on his betrayers, until a pretty girl stops him in his tracks. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lino Ventura, Charles Aznavour, (more)
- 1954
Though the screenplay for La Reine Margot (The Queen Margot) was written by legendary filmmaker Abel Gance, the directorial reins were handled by Jean Dreville. Adapted from a novel by Alexandre Dumas, the film centers around Margot (Jeanne Moreau), the headstrong sister of France's King Charles IX (Robert Porte). Consigned to a politically expedient marriage to Huguenot prince Henry de Navarre (Andre Versini), Margot nonetheless carries on a romance with the handsome Count De la Mole (Armando Francioli). This romantic intrigue is played out against Charles' slaughter of the Huguenots, and the contrast is rather jarring. Francoise Rosay steals the show as Margot's mother, Queen Catherine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeanne Moreau, Françoise Rosay, (more)
- 1967
Adapted from the novel by C. Virgil Gheorghiu, this satirical concentration-camp drama from Turkish-born French director Henri Verneuil stars Anthony Quinn as Johann Moritz, a Romanian peasant who experiences the horrors of World War II when the Nazis invade his country. Because local police chief Dobresco (Gregoire Aslan) is anamorous towards Moritz's wife Suzanna (Virna Lisi), he has the lowly fieldhand falsely labeled a Jew and sent to a work camp. Moritz's troubles continue to mount, as his wife is threatened with losing their property unless she divorces him. Also starring Michael Redgrave, La Vingt-cinquième heure is also known as The 25th Hour, though it should not be confused with and bears no resemblance to the 2002 Spike Lee film of the same name. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Quinn, Virna Lisi, (more)
- 1952
Smuggler's Ball is the English-language title for this French-Belgian seriocomedy. The action takes place along the borders separating Belgium, Holland and France. It is here that the worldly Pierre (J. P. Kieran) carries on a profitable smuggling operation, all the while romancing Siska (Christian Lenier), the daughter of a local customs official. Various subplots and secondary characters weave in and out as the plotline guides the viewer through the WW II years. Towards the end, the story shifts gears when the Benelux Frontier Agreement eliminates all government regulations. The film's screenplay is by Charles Spaak, himself the descendant of a Belgian political family, and thus well-versed in bureaucracy and red tape. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Françoise Rosay, Yves Deniaud, (more)
- 1960
Murky and rather uninspired, this wartime drama by director Claude Autant-Lara is set in France during World War II. At the crux of the story is a German woman, Herta (Erika Remberg) who longs to be with her husband for awhile. He is in the German occupying forces in France and in order to even get to that country, Herta forges a border pass. She manages to succeed in reaching a remote lodging in France, but when she tries to make contact with her husband the realities of war take over. He and the military are busy looking for a resistance fighter smuggled into the country by the British -- a task which does not augur well for a few stolen, romantic moments. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurent Terzieff, Erika Remberg, (more)
- 1961
This somewhat verbose, standard comic thriller involves one sharp gangster nicknamed Le Dabe (Jean Gabin) pitted against three others as they work on a counterfeiting operation. Le Dabe has just been cooling his heels in the hot tropics and has now resurfaced in France where he hooks up with the counterfeiting trio. Together, they print out millions in fake Dutch guilders, but along the way, the three friends scheme to double-cross Le Dabe as soon as their operation is completed. They obviously underestimate the man. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Gabin, Martine Carol, (more)
- 1934
Jacques Feyder's sole directorial contribution in 1934 (and his first film since 1931) was the superior Foreign Legion melodrama Le Grand Jeu (The Full Deck). Scripted by frequent Feyder collaborator Charles Spaak, the film focuses on Pierre Martel (Pierre Richard-Willm), whose efforts to support his beloved Florence (Marie Bell) in the style to which she's accustomed cause him to run afoul of the Law. Escaping a charge of embezzlement, Pierre signs up with the Foreign Legion, intending to "forget." After a particularly violent skirmish with the natives, Pierre briefly loses his memory, whereupon he begins keeping time with Irma, a sexy camp-follower whom he imagines to be Florence. When his tour of duty is over, Pierre prepares to return home to Paris to collect an unexpected inheritance. Reunited with the real Florence, he finds he cannot get over Irma, the little trollop who gave him a new lease on life back in the desert. Unwilling to go back to France without Irma, Pierre returns to the Foreign Legion -- where, inevitably, he meets his doom. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Vanel, Marie Bell, (more)
- 1958
Le Joueur is French director Claude Autant-Lara's spin on the oft-filmed Dostoyevsky novel The Gambler. Set in 19th century Baden-Baden, the film details the trials and tribulations of several chronic gamblers, foremost among them young Alevei (Gerard Philipe). In love with Pauline (Liselotte Pulver), the daughter of nearly-impoverished general Zagoriensky (Bernard Blier), Alevei tries to save Pauline from penury by instructing her in the ways of the gaming tables. Unfortunately, Alevei is too late to prevent Pauline from destroying herself, both figuratively and literally. The best-known cinemadaptation of the Dostoyevsky original was 1949's The Great Sinner, starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Philipe, Liselotte Pulver, (more)
- 1939
In one of his last European film appearances, Conrad Veidt heads the cast of Le Joueur D'Echecs (The Checker Player). Set during the reign of Russia's Catherine the Great, the film recreates Poland's ongoing efforts to wrest free of Russian tyranny. Paul Cambo plays Polish patriot Bosleslas Vorosky, whose insurrection is aided by an eccentric Hungarian nobleman, Baron Kempelen (Conrad Veidt). Seemingly more interested in his various mechanical devices (including an automated checker player) than with human beings, Kempelen nonetheless proves to be the best friend the Poles could have, even sacrificing his own life for their cause. In the film's bizarre but historically accurate conclusion, the spiteful Catherine demands that Kempelen's beloved mechanical checker player be executed by firing squad (It makes sense within context--honest!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Françoise Rosay, Micheline Francey, (more)
- 1956
Le Long des Trottoirs was released in English-speaking countries as Along the Sidewalks and Diary of a Bad Girl. The film was one of several French-language efforts by Russian-born director Leonide Moguy. As its various titles indicate, this is the story of a young prostitute, played by newcomer Danik Patisson. Blame for the girl's tawdry lifestyle is placed squarely on Society, which didn't want her when she was "clean" and now rehects her for her fall from grace. The long-suffering heroine is rescued from her plight by the love of an understanding doctor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Vernon, Françoise Rosay, (more)
- 1930
La Petite Café is the French-language version of Playboy of Paris, with Maurice Chevalier essaying the same role in both. The star is cast as Albert Loriflan, an insouciant young waiter who is fired by his dyspeptic boss Philibert (Emile Chautard) But when Albert inherits a huge fortune, his former employer not only hires him back, but tries to engineer a marriage between Albert and Yvonne (Yvonne Vallee) Philibert's daughter. But Albert remains an incorrigible flirt, dallying with the coquettish wife of a snobbish nobleman. Challenging our hero to a duel, the nobleman is dissuaded when Yvonne pops up and reveals that Albert is merely a waiter and thus unworthy of being killed like a gentleman. But Albert is an honorable man and insists that the duel proceed, whereupon Yvonne exercises her womanly prerogative of fainting at just the appropriate time. Realizing that he's in love after all, Albert forgets all about the duel and proposes marriage. Based on a play by Tristan Bernard, La Petite Café was regarded as a vast improvement on the English-language original. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maurice Chevalier, Emile Chautard, (more)
- 1931
Also known as Le Rosier de Mme. Husson, He is based on a story by Guy De Maupassant. The story takes place in a tiny French village, where every year a cash prize is awarded the most virtuous girl in town. Alas, virtue is so rare a commodity that the villagers are compelled to select a boy as their prize-winner. The lad chosen is horse-faced Fernandel, who upon winning the honor almost instantly disqualifies himself at the local brothel. Cut by nearly two reels for its American release, He emerged in a rather ragged 55-minute form, with crude English-language dubbing provided to gloss over the more censurable aspects of the story. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Françoise Rosay, Mady Berry, (more)
- 1938
Le Ruisseau (The Stream) begins as orphan girl Gaby Sylvia escapes from her guardians and stows away on board a ship. She is discovered by officer Paul Cambo, thereby launching a brief shipboard affair. Feeling a bit guilty about taking advantage of the girl's naivete, Cambo sends the girl to live with his actress mother Francoise Rosay. Taking a liking to Sylvia, Rosay helps the girl launch her show-business career, but does an about-face when she discovers that the girl has slept with her son. Shuttled back to the orphanage, Sylvia escapes once more, finding work at a dime-a-dance joint. By the time Cambo catches up with her again, Sylvia has really "been around" and is on the verge of becoming a streetwalker. Rescuing her from this fate, Cambo patches things up between Sylvia and his mother, and a happy ending is had by all (finally!) Michel Simon steals the show as a photographer of "feelthy" postcards. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Simon, Françoise Rosay, (more)
- 1936
Secret de Polichinelle roughly translates as Open Secret. The "secret" in question is an illegitimate child, the offspring of young-and-foolish Henri (Bernard Lacret). The baby is adopted by its grandparents, Monsieur and Madame Jouvenol (Raimu and Francoise Rosay). At first taking charge of the child because it is their duty, the Jouvenols come to love the little nipper as if he were their own son. At this point, the film threatens to drown in a morass of sentiment, but the actors and the director manage to stem the bathos with some first-rate comedy vignettes revolving around the care and feeding of the bouncing baby boy. Charles Spaak adapted the screenplay from a stage piece by Pierre Wolff. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Françoise Rosay, Janine Crispin, (more)
- 1937
Flora (Francoise Rosay), a hard-bitten female lion-tamer, tends to treat the people around her with the same harsh brutality that she doles out to her lions. Even so, she reacts in fear and loathing when her former lover Fernand (Andre Brule) escapes from prison. Threatening to tell the world that he's the father of Flora's son, Fernand is able to secure a job as her animal keeper. Within a few months, he's become the manager of Flora's circus, maintaining the respectable veneer even as he returns to his life of crime. Meanwhile, Flora reveals the more tender side of her nature as she deals with the romantic misadventures of her son Marcel (Fabien Loris) and his pregnant sweetheart Yvonne (Sylvia Battalie). All of the film's loose plotlines are tied up with in the final footage, as Fernand is returned to prison and Marcel comes to grips with the responsibilities of parenthood. Filmed in Germany, the French-produced Les Gens du Voyage (People Who Travel) was lensed simultaneously in a German-language version (Fahrendes Volk) by the same director, Jacques Feyder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Françoise Rosay, Marie Glory, (more)
- 1952
The Seven Deadly Sins is a portmanteau film (a la Quartet and O. Henry's Full House) assembled by some of the biggest talents in the Italian and French film industry. The film's six sections (one containing two sins) are designed by separate titles, which should be self-explanatory. "Avarice and Anger" stars its director, Eduardo DeFilippo, as a miser who comes to grief. "Lust," directed by Yves Allegret, contrasts minor flirtation with major sexual passion. "Pride," directed by Claude Autant-Lara, details the fall from grace of a snooty mother and daughter. The other episodes include "Sloth," directed by Jean Dreville; "Envy," directed by Roberto Rosselini; and "Gluttony," directed by Carlo Rim. An eighth sin, directed by Georges Lacombe and starring Gerard Philipe, is thrown in as a comic bonus. Seven Deadly Sins is a lot of fun, though each of the individual episodes could use a little work in the continuity department. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Philipe, Viviane Romance, (more)
