Henri-Francois Rey Movies
- 1965
French novelist Henri-Francois Rey adapted his novel Les Pianos Mecaniques with director Juan Antonio Bardem for this French/Italian/Spanish co-production, set in Spain. Vincent (Hardy Kruger) is recovering from a nervous breakdown in a seaside village on the Costa Brava. He enters into an affair with nightclub owner Jenny (Melina Mercouri), but their relationship changes when she falls for alcoholic author Pascal Regnier (James Mason), who is struggling to resume his writing career. Vincent eventually returns home, leaving Jenny to stay on with Pascal and his young son Daniel (Didier Haudepin). Their love enables him to start writing again. ~ Nicole Gagne, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melina Mercouri, Hardy Kruger, (more)
- 1963
In this war drama set during the 1936 Spanish Civil War, a Ukrainian idealist enlists in the International Brigade and soon after meets and falls instantly in love with a youthful American war correspondent. When the young soldier gets to the front, he sees his comrade tortured and disfigured by his captor; he is so frightened and appalled that he deserts and runs off with the reporter before his company is to do the same to the enemy prisoners. They are just about to flee over the French border when they are captured by anarchists and as the woman hears the soldier's execution, she screams and screams. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1961
La Fête Espagnole is an ironic title referring to the Spanish Civil War, the setting for this interesting 1930s' drama about romance, politics, and the inhuman caprices of war. Georgenko (Peter van Eyck) is a part of a volunteer brigade going into Spain to fight the fascist Franco and his army. But Georgenko misses his transport and ends up heading out on his own. Because of that, he runs into Nathalie (Dahlia Lavi) an American woman who shares his sentiments about fighting Franco. Love soon develops and becomes such a powerful force that the new couple rethink their desire to join the foreign brigade and the war -- with disastrous consequences. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Van Eyck, Daliah Lavi, (more)
- 1959
In this drama, a freighter captain's family suffers financial difficulties. To help them, he involves himself in a plot to destroy his ship so they can collect the insurance money. They plan to destroy the vessel by loading it with a time bomb and then sailing it into an active mine field. En route, a crewman becomes trapped in a boiler and burns to death. This forces the captain to dismantle the bomb. He feels better for having done so and returns to Hamburg, where he learns that not all of his family approved of the plan either. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Curd Jürgens, Mylène Demongeot, (more)
- 1959
Novice filmmaker Joseph Lisbona directs this uneven drama about filmmaking and its more serious pitfalls. The central character is Charles (Pierre Michael), a creative type who is so crushed by the failure of his first real romance that he has to drop out of college in disgrace as his grades tumble. Searching around for the right career move, Charles gets involved in filmmaking and eventually is deep at work on his first feature-length effort. Ever the stalwart idealist, he refuses to buckle under to the demands of the less reputable side of movie-making, and so even when his film is a success he turns his back on the industry. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Michael, Anne Tonietti, (more)
- 1954
Barbara Laage essays the title role in Zoe. Our heroine's adventures begin when she catches the eye of a big-city playboy named Arthur (Michel Auclair), who is attracted not only to Zoe's beauty, but by her insistence upon telling nothing but the whole truth. This trait causes no end of comic complications when Zoe moves into the palatial home of Arthur's family. The limit comes when Zoe botches a big business deal formulated by Arthur's not-altogether-honest father (Louis Seigner). Zoe is based on a stage farce by Jean Marsan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Laage, Michel Auclair, (more)
