Robert Vernay Movies

This French/Italian adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo began as a two-part film, the entire project running well over three hours. Only the second portion of the film was seen in America, and it is this half that currently carries the title of the Dumas original. Safely escaped from the Chateau D'If, the wronged Edmond Dantes (Jean Marais) returns to his old haunts, thirsting for revenge. In the guise of the Count of Monte Cristo, Dantes manages to drive all his old persecutors to ruin, or death, or both. He finally relents when he realizes that his long-ago sweetheart Mercedes (or "Mercedes-is-it?") is still in love with him. Director Robert Vernay coadapted the screenplay with Georges Neveaux. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Spanish singing sensation Luis Mariano is the star of Andalousie. The story finds Mariano cast as an amorous bullfighter named Juanito. When he's not waving the red flag and shouting "Toro! Toro!", Our Hero is wooing such European lovelies as Dolores (Carmen Sevilla) and Fanny (Arlette Poirier). The singing and dancing numbers hold far more interest than the bullfighting sequences. Andalousie was decked out in an attractive Euro-based process called Gevacolor. Director Robert Vernay co-authored the screenplay with J. Feydeau. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This breezy, unpretentious little film is set in the Montmartre district of Paris. The story concentrates on a group of street urchins with too much time on their hands. For a lark, they abduct a neighbor's dog, then return the animal -- whereupon the owner pays a hefty (and unsolicited) reward. Inspired, the kids launch a lucrative business, stealing dogs for profit. It's all very harmless and innocent, with the kids eventually tiring of their life of crime and moving on to other things. When the film was first released in France, the minister of information, worried that it might inspire imitation, restricted Plus des Vacance pour le Bon Dieu to "adults only" audiences! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Director Robert Vernay adapted the screenplay of Le Capitan from a novel by Michael Zevaco. Set during the reign of Louis XIII, this opulent costume drama concerns a devil-may-care nobleman (Jean Paqui) who endeavors to foil a plot against the life of the king. Intended as a two-parter, with each chapter running approximately 100 minutes, the film was premiered in Paris in its full 200-minute form. Audiences were enthralled, complaining not at all about the excessive length (though critics were less politely inclined). For its American release, Le Capitan was trimmed by nearly 90 minutes and extensively redubbed to compensate for the many continuity gaps. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide