Arletty Movies

Marcello (Charles Abnavour) is a traveling Frenchman who is stranded in Rome. Although he knows nothing about the Eternal City, he becomes a tour guide. His activities pique the interest of a pretty local girl, a reclusive rich man, and a society grand dame who takes a special interest in the gentle Marcello. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

The Longest Day is a mammoth, all-star re-creation of the D-Day invasion, personally orchestrated by Darryl F. Zanuck. Whenever possible, the original locations were utilized, and an all-star international cast impersonates the people involved, from high-ranking officials to ordinary GIs. Each actor speaks in his or her native language with subtitles translating for the benefit of the audience (alternate "takes" were made of each scene with the foreign actors speaking English, but these were seen only during the first network telecast of the film in 1972). The stars are listed alphabetically, with the exception of John Wayne, who as Lt. Colonel Vandervoort gets separate billing. Others in the huge cast include Eddie Albert, Jean-Louis Barrault, Richard Burton, Red Buttons, Sean Connery, Henry Fonda, Gert Frobe, Curt Jurgens, Peter Lawford, Robert Mitchum, Kenneth More, Edmond O'Brien, Robert Ryan, Jean Servais, Rod Steiger and Robert Wagner. Paul Anka, who wrote the film's title song, shows up as an Army private. Scenes include the Allies parachuting into Ste. Mere Englise, where the paratroopers were mowed down by German bullets; a real-life sequence wherein the German and Allied troops unwittingly march side by side in the dark of night; and a spectacular three-minute overhead shot of the troops fighting and dying in the streets of Quistreham. The last major black-and-white road-show attraction, The Longest Day made millions, enough to recoup some of the cost of 20th Century Fox's concurrently produced Cleopatra. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A rather leaden police story by director Charles Gerard (who refocused on acting after 1966), La Loi des Hommes is reminiscent of American tough detective stories involving seedy, violent gangsters. Police inspector Dandieu (Philippe Leroy-Beaulien) suspects that the beautiful Sophie (Micheline Presle) is somehow connected to a particular robbery. She is a journalist who seems to know much more than she should about the details of the case. And so Dandieu dedicates himself to tracking the woman's activities, in spite of harrowing encounters with thugs, violence, and other potent dissuaders. Eventually, he develops a relationship with her that leads him to the truth he seeks. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Un Drole de Dimanche (What a Sunday) stars Danielle Darrieux as Catherine and Bourvil as her ex-husband Jean. By chance, Catherine and Jean are reunited five years after she walked out of his life. In a fit of romantic nostalgia, Jean mentally reconstructs the events that led up to their separation. He then determines to win her back, certain that he'll never, ever make the same mistakes again? or will he? Listed fifth in the cast of Un Drole de Dimanche is a young sprout named Jean Belmondo, who as Jean-Paul Belmondo would burst onto the international film scene in Godard's Breathless. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though filmmaker Marcel Carne was no longer considered a trendsetter in the French cinema in the 1950s, his films still turned a profit and pleased the crowd. Heading the cast of Carne's L'Air de Paris is Jean Gabin, the star of the director's earlier Daybreak and other films. Gabin plays Victor, an over-the-hill boxer who hopes to train his ring successor. One of his proteges is railroad worker Andre (Roland Lesaffre), who is hated on sight by Victor's wife Blanche (Arletty). Before long, the irresponsible Andre proves that Blanche was right when he abandons his training in favor of a flashy floozie (Marie Daems). The ending of the film is Pure Hollywood, no matter what language the actors are speaking. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Arletty heads the cast of this first film version of Jean-Paul Sartre's existential theater piece No Exit. The scene is a tawdry hotel room in Limbo, where several damned souls are gathered. At first, the group fails to comprehend where they are or why they're there. When the horrible truth dawns upon them, they carp and snipe at one another, blaming everyone but themselves for their dismal fate. The Sartre original had only one setting and three characters. Pierre Laroche's screenplay unnecessarily "opens up" the play, adding four more characters and several sequences in the "real" world. A more successful (but no more faithful) version of No Exit was filmed in Argentina in 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Longtime French film favorite Arletty is decidedly the star of L'Amour, Madame. Cast as "herself," the actress is required early in the proceedings to share her railroad sleeping car with star-struck young Francois (Francois Perier). It's all very innocent, of course, and the two part as good friends when they reach their destination. But the boy's publicity-hungry mother (Mirielle Perrey) blows the incident all out of proportion, and before long the couple is being linked romantically in the newspapers. This misguided publicity stunt blows up in the mother's face, but the young man emerges from the experience a better and more successful fellow. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Three powerhouse European screen personalities--Pierre Brasseur, Erich Von Stroheim, Maria Montez---elevate the tawdry melodramatics of Le Portrait d'Un Assassin. Brasseur plays Fabius, a reckless motorcycle driver, currently working in a carnival. When he begins to "choke up" in front of the crowd, Fabius decides it would be best to quit his job and leave for parts unknown. But first he must rid himself of his nagging wife. Attempting to kill his missus, he accidentally wounds carnival owner Catherine (Maria Montez). Fabius decides to continue risking his life when he falls for Catherine, who is "turned on" only by men in dangerous professions. Von Stroheim plays Eric, one of Catherine's ex-lovers, now hopelessly paralyzed. His tendency to "ham" confined by a body brace, Von Stroheim delivers one of his most effective performances. According to contemporary reports, Le Portrait d'Un Assassin was to have been directed by Orson Welles, who presumably would have also played the Pierre Brasseur role (though it would have been fun to see him in the Erich Von Stroheim part--or, for that matter, to watch him try to direct Von Stroheim). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally released in 1942 as Les Visiteurs du Soir, The Devil's Envoys is another masterful collaboration between actress Arletty, writer Jacques Prevert and director Marcel Carne, who would team up one year later for the brilliant Les Enfants Du Paradis. The film is predicated on the 15th century French legend, wherein the Devil, disturbed by the encroaching forces of Good, sends his envoys to Earth to drive the citizens to despair. The Devil, played by Jules Berry in a subtly Hitler-like fashion (a chancy artistic decision in the days of the Occupation), is thwarted when his agents are unable to overcome the power of true love. Even after the lovers are turned to stone for defying His Satanic Majesty, their hearts continue to beat for each other. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

La Tempete (The Tempest) is based loosely on characters created by Honore de Balzac. In one of the strangest roles of his career, Erich Von Stroheim plays an international criminal whose latest scheme involves the selling of a hair-straightening potion to African Americans. In order to gain the confidence of his customers, Von Stroheim applies shoe polish to his countenance and poses as a black man! Eventually tracked down by the law, Von Stroheim takes refuge in an apartment owned by blackmailing newspaper reporter Marcel Dalio, who delights in shaking down his "guest." The plot is indirectly resolved by Annie Ducaux, the honorable wife of another of Dalio's victims, who manages to exhume Von Stroheim's long-dormant sense of decency. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide