Victor Francen Movies
Silver-haired Belgian leading man Victor Francen was the son of a police commissioner. Upon embarking on an acting career, Francen toured the provinces of Europe, Russia, Canada and South America before joining the Comedie Francaise. After a stop-and-go silent film career, in 1931, Francen established himself as a leading man of French films. Some of his best work was under the direction of innovative filmmaker Abel Gance, who inspired Francen to expand his emotional range to the breaking point in such films as The End of the World (1931) and J'Accuse (1937). When the Nazis marched into Paris in 1940, Francen moved to the United States. He found himself much in demand as a worldly continental type in Hollywood, often as a villain, spy or schemer; in keeping with the tenor of his roles, Francen's acting style became heavier (as did the actor himself). Victor Francen closed off the Hollywood phase of his career with 1961's Fanny, making one final film appearance in the French La Grande Frousse before retiring in 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1931
Apres L'Amour (When Love is Over) was a literal, scene-for-scene adaptation of the popular stage play by Pierre Wolff and Henri Duvernois. Victor Francen plays a wealthy historian who charms his way into the bedroom of impressionable young shopgirl Gaby Morlay. Almost simultaneously, Francen's previously frigid wife has entered into an affair with another man. The upshot of all this as that the shopgirl and the wife become pregnant, delivering their babies at the very same time and at the very same hospital. The shopgirl dies in childbirth, whereupon Francen switches her baby (who, after all, is really his) with the one conceived illegitimately by his own wife. Six years later, the consequences of Francen's face-saving act in the maternity hospital finally catch up with him. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gaby Morlay, Tania Fedor, (more)
- 1931
Never one to do anything by halves, director Abel Gance delivers just what the title La Fin du Monde promises: The End of the World. As a comet speeds along on a collision course with Planet Earth, the world prays for a miracle. Scientist Victor Francen races against time to avoid the cataclysm, while Francen's religious-fanatic brother (played by director Gance) puts his fate in the hands of God. Meanwhile, the governments of the world adopt near-fascistic methods to keep their panicking minions under control. Once all hope is abandoned, virtually all of civilization degenerates into a drunken orgy, replete with rape and bestiality. The worst is reserved for last, as the ever-approaching comet causes a plethora of natural disasters before the final "Big Bang." For its premiere engagements in 1929, La Fin du Monde was outfitted with a primitive but effective stereophonic-sound system, the aural equivalent to Abel Gance's Cinerama-like "Triptychs" in his 1927 masterpiece Napoleon. With his typical flair for the messianic, Gance originally released his film as Abel Gance's La Fin du Monde. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colette Darfeuil, Abel Gance, (more)
- 1932
Also known as Der Traumende Mund and Dreaming Lips, Melo was filmed in both French- and German-language versions by director Paul Czinner. Based on a play by Henry Bernstein, the film focuses upon a romantic triangle: orchestra violinist Peter, his wife Gaby, and their concert-violinist friend Michael. Gaby loves both Peter and Michael with equal fervor, making the situation all the more unbearable. When no other solution seems possible, Gaby kills herself rather than hurt either one of her lovers. In the French version of Melo, Gaby was played by Gaby Morlay; in the German version, the role was essayed by Czinner's wife Elisabeth Bergner. Both versions were eventually banned in Germany because virtually everyone involved in the production was Jewish. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gaby Morlay, Anton Edthofer, (more)
- 1936
Director Marcel L'Herbier adapted the screenplay for La Porte du Large (Open Door to the Sea) from a novel by Charles Spaak. Victor Francen stars as Captain Vilette, the recently-appointed commander of the Naval officer's school where his son (Jean-Pierre Aumont) is a cadet. The younger Vilette becomes involved in his dad's personal affairs when the Captain falls in love with a very-married American heiress (Marcel Chantal). Hoping that the Captain will marry the gorgeous woman -- after she divorces her husband of course -- Vilette Jr. arranges an elopement in a "borrowed" navy plane. This results in an apparent tragedy, for which the duty-bound Vilette holds his son responsible. On the verge of court-martial and disgrace, the young man is saved and the Captain is able to marry his sweetheart. Much of La Porte du Large was filmed on location at the Ecole Navale at Brest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Francen, Marcelle Chantal, (more)
- 1936
Before the Battle is the English-language title of this espionage melodrama. The first half of the film takes place aboard a French cruising ship, steaming through dangerous waters during WWI. Among the passengers is heroine Jeanne (Annabella), who was once in love with first-officer D'Artelles (Robert Vidalin) but he now seems strangely preoccupied. It turns out that the ship is on a secret mission, which ultimately dooms the vessel to a Lusitania-like death. After the sinking, Captain De Corlaix (Victor Francen) faces a court-martial, and it is at this point that the film clarifies several baffling plot points. Despite its complexity, the story is fairly believable, with the exception of the grafted-on romantic subplot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Annabella, Victor Francen, (more)
- 1936
Filmed two years before the Nazi takeover of France, The King (Le Roi) made its way to the U.S. in 1941. Victor Francen plays the title character, a playboy regent who goes out for a night on the town during a visit to Paris. In the course of the evening's revelry, Francen enjoys a brief fling with gorgeous Gaby Morlay -- who happens to be the mistress of the king's host, cabinet minister Raimu. Though enraged at being cuckolded, Raimu tries to honor the usual proprieties of protocol and class distinctions, with amusing results. Like many late-1930s films, The King was obviously inspired by the pre-abdication shenanigans of the Prince of Wales. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gaby Morlay, Elvire Popesco, (more)
- 1937
This 1938 sci-fi and horror-tinged war drama from writer/director Abel Gance is an updated remake of Gance's own 1919 silent feature of the same name. J'accuse stars Victor Francen as Jean Diaz, a scientist who, after witnessing the unspeakable horrors of the battlefield during the First World War, dedicated his life to ensuring that history doesn't repeat itself. Diaz eventually invents a device that promises to bring an end to war forever. However, with WWII on the horizon, the government instead opts to use the machine against its enemies rather than for peace. This drives Diaz to the brink of insanity and leads him to resort to more unexpected measures to get his point across. Line Noro and Marie Lou also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Line Noro, Renee Devillers, (more)
- 1938
In this French war drama, a battleship captain tries to keep an enemy cruiser from sinking his vessel; he then must defend his honor during a court-martial. Much of the tale is told in flashback and centers not only on the battle itself, but also on the young woman who is having an affair with a younger officer. It is her very indiscretions that ironically save the captain from being drummed out of the service. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Annabella, Victor Francen, (more)
- 1938
Viere Folle (Foolish Virgin) was the latest in a long line of cinemadaptations of Henri Bataille's famous story. Married to faithful but frigid Annie Ducaux, attorney Victor Francen finds contentment with dewey-eyed naif Juliet Faber. Entranced by Faber's youth and innocence, Francen tries to behave himself with the girl, but her family suspects the worst. Eventually they have good reason for their suspicions, and the result is unhappiness for everyone the audience cares about. Director Henri Diamant-Berger manages (none too gracefully) to inject a bit of arbitrary politicizing into the proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Annie Ducaux, Juliette Faber, (more)
- 1939
Entente Cordiale was adapted from Andre Maurois' Edward VII and his Times. Victor Francen heads the cast as Britain's Prince Edward, who after assuming the throne of England in 1910 strives to bring about a lasting peaceful coexistence between the United Kingdom and France. Both countries are treated with equal respect throughout the film, depicted as intelligent nations willing to avoid war at all costs, but not quite as willing to give up national pride; the infamous Fashoda Incident, which almost resulted in full-scale warfare between Britain and France, is the film's central issue. Scores of historical personages make fleeting cameo appearances, including Queen Victoria (played by Gaby Morlay), Lord Kitchener (Jean d'Yd), French president Loubet (Jean Perrier), Clemenceau (Jacques Baumer) and Lord Balfour (Andre Roanne). Not surprisingly, Entente Cordiale was produced and released at a time when France and England were seriously contemplating a united front against future Nazi incursions into Europe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gaby Morlay, Janine Darcey, (more)
- 1939
This poignant drama peeks in at the lives and relationships between elderly thespians living in an actors' retirement home. The home is almost bankrupt and so the actors must support themselves. The residents include a faded sex symbol, an intellectual actor who kept a great distance between himself and the audience, and a depressed thespian who tries to conceal the fact that he was only an understudy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Simon, Madeleine Ozeray, (more)
- 1939
L'Homme du Niger (The Man from the Niger) is set in the Sudan, which in 1940 was still under French colonial rule. The story revolves around three individuals: Doctor Harry Baur, colonial commander Victor Francen, and Jacques Dumesnil, Francen's second-in-command. When Parisian tourist Annie Ducaux pays a visit to the Sudan, both Francen and Dumesnil fall in love with her. Eventually, Baur discovers that Francen has contacted leprosy, forcing the commander to remove himself from the romantic triangle. Upon Francen's unexplained disappearance, the heartbroken Ducaux marries Dumesnil, but three years later returns to Francen when the latter shows up again to complete a long-delayed dam project. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Annie Ducaux, Victor Francen, (more)
