Jeanne Fusier-Gir Movies
- 1961
Wearing the title garment, a daring night rider sets off to get revenge upon the wicked, avaricious magistrate responsible for murdering his father and keeping his neighbors in poverty. This Italian chronicle of his exciting exploits is set in Pisa during the 1500s. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1959
This suspensful drama finds ten members of the underground uniting fifteen years after the end of World War II. Nine men and a woman come together to expose a traitor among them. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeanne Fusier-Gir, Serge Reggiani, (more)
- 1954
Sacha Guitry's Si Versailles M'Etait Conte (If Versailles Were Told to Me) is best known by its American title Royal Affairs in Versailles. In addtion to writing and directed the film, Guitry reserves for himself the plum role of Louis XIV. Concentrating on the palace of Versailles over a period of 300 years, the storyline concentrates on the various amorous and political intrigues of three French kings. The plot manages to wend its way through the French revolution, coming to a halt in "the present". The star-studded supporting cast includes Jean Marais as Louis XV, Claudette Colbert as Mme. Montespan, Micheline Presle as Mme. Pompadour, and, best of all, Orson Welles as a gouty Ben Franklin. Most currently available prints of Si Versailles M'Etait Conte are severely edited, and fail to do justice to the rich Eastmancolor hues of the original version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sacha Guitry, Michel Auclair, (more)
- 1952
The title of this French low-comedy opus refers to a fancy, family-owned hotel. Village buffoon Hippolyte (Bourvil) hopes to inherit the hotel, but he's opposed by his crafty relatives. In order to qualify for the inheritance, Hippolyte is forced to enroll in grade school, from which he'd never graduated. Romance blossoms in the form of his sexy cousin Gavotte (Brigitte Bardot), but when Hippolyte learns that her interest in him is purely mercenary, he settles for good-hearted schoolmarm Madeline (Nadine Bassile). Le Trou Normand bears a remarkable resemblance to the 1985 Adam Sandler comedy Billy Madison. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bourvil, Nadine Basile, (more)
- 1952
A Simple Case of Money (originally released in 1950 as Millionaires d'un Jour) is set in motion when a greenhorn reporter (Bernard Lajarrige) carelessly prints the wrong winning number in the French national lottery. As the reporter and his boss (Leon Bellieres) defend themselves in court, they are confronted with several people whose lives were profoundly affected by the error. Gradually, these "victims" come to realize that they are far better off as losers than they ever would have been as winners. This is especially true of estranged husband and wife Pierre (Jean Brochard) and Helene Berger (Gaby Morlay), whose tattered marriage is patched together by the experience. Simple Case of Money is most effective as a character study, and least effective as a satire of provincial manners and mores. Coming off best in the large cast is Pierre Laquey as a lovably antisocial centenarian. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Brasseur, Ginette Leclerc, (more)
- 1952
Belle Mentalle (Wonderful Mentality) stars Jean Richard as Honore, a valet blessed with the inability to tell a lie. In addition to his honesty, Honore is also supremely logical, a character trait that comes in handy for his master, lawyer Maitre (Jean Martinelli). The valet not only saves Maitre's business, but his marriage. Alas, Honore's candor and wisdom does good for everyone but himself--until the film's twist ending. The film's effectiveness rests almost solely in the comedy prowess of star Jean Richard, who does wonders with the thinnish material at hand. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Richard, Mich_le Philippe, (more)
- 1951
Sacha Guitry both wrote and directed the witty black comedy La Poison. This time, however, Guitry does not star in the film, relinquishing that honor to Michel Simon. Through a series of circumstances and plot twists too numerous to mention, an enterprising man (Simon) manages to get away with murdering his wife, even though he cheerfully admits his guilt in court. The murderer's defense strategy is targeted towards every man who has ever wished that his wife would simply disappear. If this notion seems familiar, it is because La Poison was loosely remade in 1966 as the Jack Lemmon comedy How to Murder Your Wife. While the original is more clever, the remake has more popular appeal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Simon, Jean Debucourt, (more)
- 1950
Veteran French character comedian Francois Perier is almost the whole show in Mon Phoque et Elles. Almost, because Perier is obliged to share many of his scenes with another stellar comedian, who bills himself only as Moustache. No, it isn't the same Moustache who played minor roles in such films as How to Steal a Million. This moustache is a trained seal, and a most endearing one. The plot concerns the efforts of a seal-loving man (Perier) to protect his pet from the evil machinations of the film's heavies. Incidentally, the French word for "seal" has a double meaning, leading to several risque verbal exchanges. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- François Perier, Marie Daems, (more)
- 1949
As always, French filmmaker Sacha Guitry wore several hats during the making of Toa. Guitry directed the film, wrote the script (from his own stage play), and cast himself in the leading role of playwright Michel Desnoyers. When his jealous mistress leaves him, Desnoyers finds an emotional outlet for his disappointment by writing a play about the situation. On opening night, Desnoyer's ex-lover sits in the audience and disrupts the proceedings. She then pulls a "life imitates art" by repeating the behavior of the play's fictional heroine. All turns out well when it is realized that the whole megillah was based on a silly misunderstanding. As for the title Toa, well, that too is explained towards the end. The film was the third 1949 release for the indefatigable Monsieur Guitry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sacha Guitry, Lana Marconi, (more)
- 1947
Mademoiselle S'Amuse (Mademoiselle Has Fun) is purely and simply a vehicle for popular bandleader Ray Ventura. What plot there is concerns a jazz-happy damsel (Giselle Pascal) who has her wealthy daddy (Randall) wrapped around her little finger. Our spoiled heroine demands that her father hire Ventura and his band to play for her day-and-night, nonstop. She gets her wish, resulting in reams of swing tunes and ballads before the girl realizes that her selfishness is depriving others of the talented Mr. Ventura. One critic described this 97-minute songfest as a "long short subject." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gisèle Pascal, Jeanne Fusier-Gir, (more)
Following a three-year suspension from filmmaking after his Le Corbeau (1943) was judged too critical of his native France, director Henri-Georges Clouzot returned with this thriller that's equal parts crime drama and character study. Suzy Delair stars as Jenny Lamour, an ambitious music hall singer who wants to be a star and is willing to befriend the lecherous old men who ogle her act, inspiring the jealousy of Jenny's husband Maurice Martineau (Bernard Blier). One particular fan of Jenny's is a wealthy financial backer who extends repeated invitations to the entertainer to join him at fine restaurants and his expansive mansion. Armed with a gun, Maurice goes to the estate to confront his rival one night but discovers that the master of the house is already dead, his wife having smashed a bottle of champagne over his head to stave off a sexual advance. Soon, a gruff but dedicated detective, Inspector Antoine (Louis Jouvet) is on the case, with Maurice taking the heat for Jenny. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louis Jouvet, Bernard Blier, (more)
