Mona Goya Movies

Le Portrait de Son Pere (His Father's Portrait) tries, and sometimes succeeds, to get laughs by playing straight. Comic actor Jean Richard plays a peasant lad who suddenly inherits a fortune from the father he never knew he had. Thrust into the uppermost rungs of Parisian society, Richard manages to hold his own despite the chicanery of the dead man's widow. He also turns his late father's store, which has been moribund for several years, into a thriving success. American filmgoers were mildly amused by the plotline of Le Portrait de Son Pere, though most were more interested in the feminine charms of third-billed Brigitte Bardot. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Interdit au Public might prove an interesting companion piece to the stage farce Noises Off. The action takes place at a theater during the final dress rehearsal of a new play. The comedy arises from the backstage intrigues involving the actors and tech crew. When the leading lady falls ill (she's been hiding her pregnancy), the director (Jacques Erwin) is forced to rely on his ex-wife (Jacqueline Gauthier) to fill in. This proves to be disastrous when the ex-wife's new husband falls in love with the director's new wife--and that's just for starters. Before long, the farcical entanglements behind the scenes rival anything that any playwright could have dreamed up. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Originally Tourbillon de Paris, this film details the misadventures of a group of French military-school students. The plot is merely an excuse to showcase the considerable talents of bandleader Ray Ventura and his orchestra, most of whom play students so as to justify their presence in the film. After getting in and out of one scrape after another, the students redeem themselves by landing a contract as nightclub performers. Corpulent comic actor Charpin provides acting relief as a pompous headmaster, who deals as best as he can with his unruly charges. The best way to sum up Whirlwind of Paris is to imagine an American film in which Benny Goodman and his orchestra play West Point cadets. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Le Messager was the fourth directorial effort for prominent Gallic actor Raymond Rouleau. Adapted from a play by Henry Bernstein, the story comes to life when wealthy Englishwoman Betty Rowe is deserted by her French husband Jean Gabin in favor of his secretary Gaby Morlay. In "hell hath no fury" fashion, Rowe uses her influence to ruin Gabin financially. He is forced to flee to Africa, leaving Morlay behind in Paris. Setting up a prosperous business concern, Gabin goes into partnership with handsome Jean-Pierre Aumont. Waxing rhapsodic about his new wife Morlay, Gabin unwittingly causes Aumont to fall in love with her, sight unseen. And then, he does see her, leaving the luckless Gabin in the lurch once more. A tragic plot twist enables Gabin to stage a reunion with Morlay, though at least one of them is not too happy about it. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this romance a run away schoolgirl impersonates a socialite to hook a handsome RAF pilot. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This British programmer tells the dark, thrilling tale of a research scientist who resorts to murder to ensure continued funding for his experiments. The killing begins after the slightly insane Dr. Sartorius (Boris Karloff) runs out of money for his experiments with curing paralysis. He is so close to a breakthrough and so desperate for cash that he agrees to kill the wealthy husband of Lady Yvonne Clifford, in exchange for half of her husband's cotton fortune. To do this, he gets hired as Sir Charles Clifford's personal physician and so begins to slowly poison him with injections. Things go awry when the ailing Sir Charles figures out the scam and changes his will to benefit his son from his first marriage. Unfortunately, word gets out and Lady Yvonne changes her deal with Sartorius, claiming that now he must kill the father and the son. But neither the doctor nor the conniving wife count on interference from nurse Eve, who has fallen in love with the son. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi