Therese Dorny Movies
The greatest film that Alfred Hitchcock never made, Henri-Georges Clouzot's Diabolique is set in a provincial boarding school run by headmaster Michel Delasalle (Paul Meurisse). A ruthless lothario, he becomes the target of a murder plot concocted by his long-suffering invalid wife Christina (Vera Clouzot, the director's own spouse) and his latest mistress, an icy teacher played by Simone Signoret. A dark, dank thriller with a much-imitated "shock" ending, Diabolique is a masterpiece of Grand Guignol suspense. The simple murder plot goes haywire, and Michel's corpse disappears, prompting strange rumors of his reappearance which grow more and more substantial as the film careens wildly towards its breathless conclusion. Later remade as a greatly inferior 1996 Hollywood feature with Sharon Stone and Isabelle Adjani. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Simone Signoret, Véra Clouzot, (more)
- 1949
Filmed in France in 1945, The Devil's Daughter didn't make it to the U.S. until 1949. Pierre Fresnay plays Saget, a supposedly self-made man of wealth who has allegedly struck it rich in America. In fact, Saget is a bank robber, who has assumed the identity of a recently deceased millionaire known for his acts of philanthropy. Everyone in the small French village where Saget resides accepts him for who he claims to be--everyone, that is, except the local doctor (Fernand Ledoux), who knows the truth and intends to use this knowledge to his advantage. Everyone's ultimate fate is sealed when Isabelle (Andree Clement), the titular "devil's daughter," falls in love with Saget. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Fresnay, Fernand Ledoux, (more)
- 1948
Less than a week after the U.S. release of Rene Clair's Beauty and the Devil came another cinemazation of the Faust legend, this one produced in Italy. Faust and the Devil was directed by Carmine Gallone, whose career extended back to the dawn of the Italian film industry. Gallone proved that age hadn't withered his ability to entertain, as he adroitly combines Goethe's version of Faust with Gounod's operatic adaptation. Gino Mattera stars as Faust, an ageing pedant who sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for youth, knowledge, and love. Italo Tajo and Nelly Corradi co-star as Mephistopheles and Marguerite, respectively. While Mattera and Tajo do their own singing in the musical passages, Corradi merely lip-syncs while the voice of Onelia Finechi is heard on the soundtrack. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Italo Tajo, Nelly Corradi, (more)
- 1947
With his business in the doldrums, travel agent Grandpa Piuff (Sinoel) comes up with a cute gimmick. Why not book customers on a "surprise" voyage, with no set itinerary or destination? Vacationers are delighted with the notion, and before long a group of tourists and sightseers have embarked on a journey to goodness-knows-where. Their revelry is threatened by the wicked machinations of rival travel agent Grosbois (Rene Bourbon) and larcenous political insurrectionist Mikhail (Etienne Decroux). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maurice Baquet, Martine Carol, (more)
- 1945
After three years' worth of enforced inacitivity, director Henri Decoin returned to films with La Fille du Diable. The title, which translates to The Devil's Daughter, refers to heroine Andree Clement. Though not actually the offspring of Satan, Clement, a small-town girl, is treated as an outcast after a series of emotional and sexual disasters. With no one to turn to, the girl opts for death rather than continuing dishonor. The strong supporting cast includes Pierre Fresnay and Fernand Ledoux. A success in France, La Fille du Diable did less well elsewhere. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrée Clement, Therese Dorny, (more)
- 1938
Retour a L'Aube (Return to the Dawn) exists primarily as a showcase for the delectable Danielle Darrieux. Fascinated by train travel, Darrieux impulsively marries railroad stationmaster Pierre Dux. Upon receiving an inheritance from a relative in Budapest, our heroine seizes the opportunity to make a long and portentously glamorous rail trip to the Hungarian capitol. In the course of her subsequent adventures, she falls in love with a handsome jewel thief (Jacques Dumesil) and a likable playboy (Pierre Mitaud), but by film's end, the chastened Darrieux returns to the arms of her understanding husband. The film was based on a story by Vicki Baum, of Grand Hotel fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danielle Darrieux, Pierre Dux, (more)
- 1938
French director Henri Decoin was married to actress Danielle Darrieux for nearly seven years during which time he cast her in several uninspiring vehicles such as this one. Darrieux plays Lydia, a struggling law student who poses as the estranged daughter of famous historian Jacques Ferney (Charles Vanel). She abuses Ferney's confidence in order to make him adopt her, thus ending her financial problems. Later, the fledgling lawyer finds herself in court, defending a woman in similar circumstances. Vanel and Darrieux are quite good in their early scenes, but the last part of the film seems wooden and contrived. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danielle Darrieux, Charles Vanel, (more)
- 1932
Masterful French comic actor Tramel plays the title character in Cognasse. Based on a play, the story zeroes in on Cognasse, a starry-eyed communist workman in a huge French wallpaper factory. On the whim of the new owner Paul Faregot (Andre Roanne), Cognasse is put in charge of the factory. It doesn't take long for our hero's volatile left-leaning sympathies to evaporate when he discovers first-hand the seductive pleasures of capitalism. Once he's made a success of the factory and enriched himself, Cognasse forgets all about waving the Red banner. Cognasse was the final directorial effort by Louis Mercanton, who died shortly after filming was completed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Therese Dorny, Tramel, (more)
- 1930
The Sweetness of Loving is the English-language title of this French musical comedy (based on a novel by A. Dieudonne). Victor Boucher delivers an on-target performance as Albert Dumontier, a ceramics engineer who dabbles in songwriting. Dumontier's cousin Rene (Henri Bose) takes it upon himself to publish several of Albert's songs under a fictional name. By the time Albert finds out about this, he's become enmeshed in the intrigues hatched by Rene's wife Germaine (Rene Devillers), who is attempting to prove that her husband is unfaithful. Adding curry to the stew is the fact that Germaine and Albert had once been sweethearts -- and they still haven't got over one another. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Renee Devillers, Alice Roberts, (more)
