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- 1974
The Pedestrian (Der Fussganger) was the second filmed directorial effort of German actor Maximillian Schell. Billed third under Gustav Rudolf Sellner and Ruth Hausmeister, Schell plays Andreas Giese, a Krupp-like industrialist whose past suddenly returns to haunt him. A newspaper article reveals that Giese was responsible for the wartime destruction of a Greek village and the wholesale slaughter of the villagers. Whether or not Giese feels remorse for his actions is ultimately beside the point: his family is torn apart and his son kills himself as a result of the accusation. Here as in other films, Schell exhibits his fondness for female European film stars of days gone by: Elizabeth Bergner, Lil (Metropolis) Dagover, Francoise Rosay and Peggy Ashcroft appear in key minor roles. The winner of several international awards and a "best foreign picture" Oscar nominee, The Pedestrian was also produced and written by Schell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
The wealthy old lady (Françoise Rosay) in this French comic crime caper is largely unaware of the machinations of her servants and relatives to arrange to be the beneficiaries of her will. She is completely in the dark about their many unsuccessful efforts to bring her life to a premature conclusion. Her nurse (Anny Duperey) has ambitions along these lines and is in love with the woman's disinherited nephew (Bruno Pradal). She seems a better sort than the chauffeur (Philippe Clay) and some of the old lady's other relatives, who would stop at nothing. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Double and triple crosses complicate the lives of the amiable villains of this French crime-caper film. The story concerns a group of people living in a blue-collar neighborhood which is being demolished for a new office and housing development. In order to save their neighborhood, they get together and decide on a complicated plot involving jewel-theft and insurance fraud. Things get even more complicated when they call on the services of an expert burglar. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Serge Reggiani, Michel Bouquet, (more)
- 1968
The English translation of this French film is "It Won't Do To Take God's Children For Wild Geese." A young girl tries to double-cross a gun-toting gangster moll in order to make off with some stolen money. The mood of this feature is an uneven blend of comedy and satire complete with stereotypical underworld characters and an occasional narrative style. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Françoise Rosay, Bernard Blier, (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)
- 1965
This war-drama centers more on the effects of battle on civilians than it does on the bravery of the fighters as it tells the story of a courageous squadron of Yankee soldiers endeavoring to protect and bring to safety a village full of French civilians whom they saved from German captors following the Allied invasion of Normandy. During the battle to free them, the soldiers also capture a German officer. They then begin heading toward the beach with the civilians so they can go to England. Unfortunately, the beachmaster does not know they are coming and regretfully sends them back. Twice more the squadron and the civilians go back to the beach, but they are still not allowed to go. Things get even worse when the Germans begin bombing the remains of their town and they are forced to find some place to hide until help arrives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cliff Robertson, Red Buttons, (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)
- 1963
As young and penniless Rik roams about Rome, he finds lady luck on his side for a spell. Not only does he receive a bounty of coins from a weighing machine, but he also wins cash from a restaurant which awards him as its 10,000th customer. Not to mention the car. And the job. And the women. Before long, however, his luck changes, but not before he finds true love with a journalist. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Fritsch, Alexandra Stewart, (more)
- 1963
In this French drama, set upon the Riviera, a widow works a jewel thief on the side. She keeps this up until she meets a handsome gent. She soon cleans up her act. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1962
The friendship between two rival soldiers provides the basis of this comedy. The tale is set during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. The soldiers meet while swimming in the same place. They become friends. When they get out of the water, they accidentally trade uniforms. Together they go to a farmhouse. There they meet an old farmer and his pretty granddaughter. They engage in friendly rivalry for the girl, go for another swim and get their proper uniforms back. They then bid each other adieu and return to their troops. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Mrs. Cheney (Lilli Palmer) is a genteel widow whose outward appearances hide her involvement as a thief. With the help of her faithful butler, she steals diamonds from a wealthy matron. When she falls in love with a handsome international playboy, her thoughts quickly change from larceny to love in this light comedy. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lilli Palmer, Carlos Thompson, (more)
- 1961
In this heavy drama, a race car driver suffers a head injury on his wedding day and becomes a mental case. The couple puts off their honeymoon while he is treated by a psychiatrist. Later when they make love, he tries to strangle her. This behavior becomes a habit, for every time they are romantic he becomes insanely angry with her. He thinks he has really gone 'round the bend until he sees his new bride and the shrink together. He goes to the doctor and confronts him. In turn, the shrink tries to make the man believe that he is hallucinating. A chase ensues between the men. The frightened doctor tries to flee in a cable car and ends up having a fatal fall. The married couple then continues their honeymoon. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claude Dauphin, Diane Cilento, (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)
- 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)
- 1959
In this filmed adaptation of William Faulkner's seminal work, Yul Brynner stars as Jason Compson, the oldest son of a once-proud Southern family rife with inner turmoil. His promiscuous sister, Caddy (Margaret Leighton), has suddenly rolled back into town with an illegitimate daughter called Quentin (Joanne Woodward) in tow. Finding no love in her own clan, Quentin opts for a relationship with Charlie Bush, an irresponsible circus worker played by Stuart Whitman. Meanwhile, Ben (Jack Warden), a mentally-handicapped uncle, is a never-ending source of embarrassment for all concerned. Directed by Martin Ritt, this was the first film to be made from The Sound and the Fury. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yul Brynner, Joanne Woodward, (more)
- 1959
In this crime drama, a criminal mastermind and his gang plan to rob the Bank of Belgium during the Brussels Exposition as the roof of the bank is being repaired. Included in his gang are a woman, haunted by wartime memories, who loves money, her assistant, and a man pretending to be a construction worker who will help them get in. The woman owns a floating nightclub, and when she refuses to sell it to a gangster named "The Bug" real trouble ensues for the would-be crooks. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nadja Tiller, Robert Hossein, (more)
- 1959
Effective in its message that war itself is idiotic, this slowly, slowly evolving, conventional comedy drama by director Helmut Kautner takes place during the Franco-Prussian hostilities of 1870. Jumping into its main point early on, the story has two soldiers, one French and one German, accidentally changing uniforms when one of them is swimming. Now that they are for all exterior appearances on the opposite side of the fence, they meet up at a farmhouse where a friendship starts between them. They share a few adventures as they help out some people who need it -- and then a potential disaster strikes when some Prussian forces intrude on their private hiatus from war. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Richard, Hardy Kruger, (more)
- 1959
In this standard wartime melodrama, forty-two-year-old Danielle Darrieux plays Jeanne, an unmarried, older woman with a miserable mother who harps on the supposed "fact" that Jeanne is ugly. Jeanne comes into close association with Pierre (27-year-old Jean-Claude Brialy) a young blind man who is hunted by the Germans and temporarily hiding out in Jeanne's house. Jeanne and Pierre are irresistibly attracted to each other, and a genuine love develops and deepens between them. Unfortunately, Jeanne's mother cannot leave her alone, and circumstances contrive to make her run away from the house -- leaving her relationship in limbo, at least for the time being. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danielle Darrieux, Jean-Claude Brialy, (more)
- 1958
In this drama, a Jewish refugee finds himself stranded in Paris just as the Nazi invaders arrive. Desperate to escape, he commanders the car of a Polish colonel who hates Jews. In order to save himself, the colonel helps the fellow escape. En route, they pick up the officer's girl friend. Trouble begins when the girl finds herself attracted to the Jewish fellow who is really quite witty and charming. The colonel is not amused, but eventually they three end up hiding in a castle. Unfortunately, they are captured anyway. To help them out, the Jewish fellow pretends the colonel is his cousin and they manage to escape. This causes the colonel to change his attitudes and the two become friends. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Kaye, Curd Jürgens, (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)
- 1957
A remake of The Painted Veil (which was itself based upon a novel by W. Somerset Maugham), The Seventh Sin stars Eleanor Parker as Carol Carwin, a cold, self-centered woman married to a caring, dedicated doctor (played by Bill Travers). Ignorant of what a fine man she is married to and eager for excitement, Carol has been having an affair with the more sensually appealing Paul Duvelle (Jean-Pierre Aumont). Dr. Carwin, about to leave on an expedition to Hong Kong to fight a terrible outbreak of cholera, confronts his wife about her infidelity. He gives her an ultimatum: she can either accompany him on his mission of mercy, or he will divorce her in a very public, very messy manner that will leave her a social outcast. Given this choice -- and given the fact that Duvelle would be appalled at the idea of such a scandal -- she goes with her husband. She is bored and angry in Hong Kong, amused only when in the company of the cynical Tim Waddington (George Sanders). Gradually, however, she comes to value her husband and her heart genuinely goes out to the victims of the epidemic, especially the children. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eleanor Parker, Bill Travers, (more)
- 1957
Like many of his best works, filmmaker Douglas Sirk's Interlude is a remake of an earlier Universal soap opera. In this case, Sirk's source material is the 1939 Irene Dunne-Charles Boyer vehicle When Tomorrow Comes. Based on a story by (of all people) James M. Cain, the story concerns the romance between aspiring musician Helen Banning (June Allyson) and famed symphony conductor Tonio Fischer (Rossano Brazzi). Alas, Tonio is married, and his bibulous, vindictive wife (Marianne Cook) isn't about to give him a divorce. Meanwhile, stiff-necked American doctor Morley Dwyer (Keith Andes) waits patiently for his sweetheart Helen to come to her senses and return to his arms. Opulently location-filmed in Austria, Interlude was remade under the same title in 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- June Allyson, Rossano Brazzi, (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)
