Jean-Pierre Aumont Movies
Throughout his lengthy screen and stage career, French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont served as the very essence of sophistication, adding a touch of grace and class to even the least noteworthy production. Born Jean Pierre-Salomon in Paris on January 5, 1909, he was the product of a wealthy family, and his mother was an actress. At the age of 16, he began studying drama at the Paris Conservatory and made his professional debut on-stage in 1930. A year later, Aumont appeared in his first film, Jean de la Lune, but he did not shoot to fame prior to starring in Jean Cocteau's play La Machine Infernal in 1934. That same year, he co-starred with Jean Gabin in the Julien Duvivier feature Maria Chapdelaine, followed in 1936 by the Marcel Carné comedy Drôle de Drame. In 1938, Aumont reunited with Carné for Hotel du Nord, but his film career was to come to a five-year halt when he joined the Free French forces in Tunisia, Italy, and France, ultimately winning the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre for his bravery in battle. Fleeing the Nazis' occupation of France, he relocated to California in 1942, landing a contract with MGM.The studio made the most of Aumont's background by assigning him a pair of 1943 war dramas, The Cross of Lorraine and Assignment in Brittany, both detailing the efforts of the French Resistance forces. The following year, Aumont starred in the war romance Three Hours, and in 1946 appeared in Heartbeat. Many of his postwar films, like 1947's Song of Scheherazade and 1948's Siren of Atlantis, lacked distinction, and by the early '50s he was primarily working in Europe, appearing in productions originating in Italy (Revenge of the Pirates), Britain (1953's The Gay Adventure), and, of course, France (Life Begins Tomorrow, made in 1949 but released internationally in 1952). However, because he enjoyed a fan following in America, Aumont occasionally returned to the U.S. to appear in films, on-stage, and on television, and in 1953, he co-starred in the acclaimed musical Lili. Never a major star, Aumont rarely appeared in films of consequence, although he did co-star in Francois Truffaut's 1973 Oscar-winner La Nuit Américaine. In the mid-'90s, he also appeared in Jefferson in Paris and The Proprietor, a pair of films from the well-regarded Merchant-Ivory team. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1989
The fourth presentation of Masterpiece Theatre's 1989-90 season, a four-part adaptation of Dickens' Tale of Two Cities, was so lavish an undertaking (especially for TV) that it ended up a Production of Two Cities. Part of the program was taped at London's Granada studios, while the remaining scenes were shot at the Dune Studios of France. Part One, telecast November 11, 1989, begins with the release of Dr. Manette (Jean-Pierre Aumont) from the Bastille in 1775. Five years later, dissipated attorney Sidney Carton (James Wilby) saves the life of Charles Darnay (Xavier DeLuc), the beloved of Dr. Manette's daughter Lucie (Serena Gordon). This expository installment ends with the observation that Carton and Darney closely resemble one another...and all of us who read Tale of Two Cities in high school know where this is going.
The second chapter of the four-part British/French TV adaptation of Tale of Two Cities was telecast November 18, 1989 on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre. We pick up the story with Lucie Manette (Serena Gordon) choosing to wed Charles Darnay (Xavier DeLuc). This leaves Sidney Carton (James Wilby) out in the cold, but also sets the stage for the "far far better thing" he'll do on Lucie's behalf in Part Four. Meanwhile, the seeds of the French Revolution are sown when Gaspard (Jean-Paul Tribout) avenges the death of his child at the hands of the callous nobles. Coming up in parts three and four: The storming of the Bastille, the fancy needlework of Madame DeFarge, and Sidney Carton's curtain speech at the guillotine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The second chapter of the four-part British/French TV adaptation of Tale of Two Cities was telecast November 18, 1989 on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre. We pick up the story with Lucie Manette (Serena Gordon) choosing to wed Charles Darnay (Xavier DeLuc). This leaves Sidney Carton (James Wilby) out in the cold, but also sets the stage for the "far far better thing" he'll do on Lucie's behalf in Part Four. Meanwhile, the seeds of the French Revolution are sown when Gaspard (Jean-Paul Tribout) avenges the death of his child at the hands of the callous nobles. Coming up in parts three and four: The storming of the Bastille, the fancy needlework of Madame DeFarge, and Sidney Carton's curtain speech at the guillotine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
This drama chronicles the real-life story of Native America's first declared saint, Elizabeth Bayley Seton. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1980
The Boy Soldier is set in the 1930s and is based on a novel by Yves Gibeau, a book that has the unusual distinction of being banned in military precincts in France. In the film, a young fellow, Simon Chalumet (Lucas Belvaux) is sent to a military school by his overbearing father, an ex-soldier who has little sympathy for his son's more gentle temperament, or for his interest in films. In spite of various forms of harassment meant to whip the young men into shape, Simon does survive the years of harsh treatment with his own interests and basic nature unscathed. Reality intrudes in the end, when Simon is sent to the front and faces war and combat for the first time. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucas Belvaux, Jean Carmet, (more)
- 1943
Jean-Pierre Aumont (billed simply as Pierre Aumont) makes his American film debut in Assignment in Brittany. Set during WW2, the film casts Aumont as Free French captain Metard, who bears a remarkable resemblance to Bertrand Conlay, a prisoner of the Allies whom is suspected of being a fifth columnist. Posing as Conlay, Metard gains the confidence of the Nazi occupiers of Brittany. He plays his part to the hilt, even unto romancing Conlay's patriotic girlfriend Anne Pinot (Susan Peters). This being a standard-issue "underground" melodrama, the film ends with a life-and-death contretemps with the Nazis, excitingly staged by director Jack Conway. Assignment in Brittany is based on the best-selling novel by Helen Macinnes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Pierre Aumont, Susan Peters, (more)
- 1992
- R
Danny Huston's Becoming Colette purports to be an account of the early formative years of French author Gabrielle Colette (Mathilda May) and her evolution from naive country bumpkin to a Parisian socialite in a George Sand suit. The film turns up the heat with Colette as a teen with a crush on her father. This desire is then transferred to the suave and cosmopolitan Villars (Klaus Maria Brandauer) -- a fatherly twenty-five years her senior. The two start their hanky-panky on her father's country estate, resulting in a whirlwind courtship and marriage. Their honeymoon night is a succession of passionate unbuttonings. Colette writes in detail about it the next day in her diary. Villars then takes Colette to the Moulin Rouge to meet his mistress, the bisexual Polaire (Virginia Madsen). Polaire and Colette hit it off and soon are taking it off in a lesbian embrace. Meanwhile, Villars has taken to publishing Colette's diaries and is making money hand over fist. But finally Colette catches on after realizing that while she is toiling away at home cranking out Claudine books, Villars is busy taking her earnings and spending the cash on a succession of frilly mistresses. Making her stand in pants, she decides to abandon Villars and go out on her own. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Klaus Maria Brandauer, Mathilda May, (more)
- 1979
Beggarman, Thief is the 4-hour sequel to the ratings-busting miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man; both productions were based on the works of novelist Irwin Shaw. For the purposes of the sequel, a new member of the Jordache clan is introduced: filmmaker Gretchen Jordache Burke, played by Jean Simmons. It is Gretchen's task to keep the family together after the murder of her brother Tom (played by Nick Nolte in Rich Man, Poor Man) and the recent disappearance of her other brother Rudy (Peter Strauss, re-creating his RMPM role). Originally presented in two parts, Beggarman, Thief was first telecast November 26 and 27, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Simmons, Glenn Ford, (more)
In this above-average, exciting Canadian-made action thriller, four psychopaths, led by Christie (Robert Carradine) take over and vandalize a ritzy Manhattan apartment building during the New York power blackout. They move from apartment to apartment, victimizing the occupants until stopped by the police. This low-budget thriller has an exciting, well-written script by John C. Saxton, excellent photography by Jean-Jacques Tarbes and well-acted cameo performances by several well-known actors, including Jean-Pierre Aumont, Ray Milland and June Allyson. While highly derivative and predictable, this film is well worth watching if only to see James Mitchum give an unusually strong performance. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Mitchum, Robert Carradine, (more)
- 1937
Although the title of this French melodrama translates as White Cargo, it has nothing to do with the steamy stage play of the same name. Instead, its source was Chemin di Rio, a novel by Jean Masson. A very young Jean-Pierre Aumont plays a crusading reporter who investigates a white-slavery ring. When Aumont disappears, his sweetheart Kate von Nagy vows to continue his work. Inevitably, Nagy falls into the clutches of demonic pimp Jules Berry and jaded madam Suzy Prim. Dismissed by its director Robert Siodmak in later years as "a dirty movie," Cargaison Blanche seems rather sedate when seen today, save for a brief and tasteful nude bathing scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jules Berry, Kaethe von Nagy, (more)
- 1964
In this thriller, a man confesses to the murder of his business partner's wife, his former lover, after her body is finally found. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
This decidedly different war movie follows Maj. Abraham Falconer (Burt Lancaster), a tired, one-eyed Army officer, as he leads eight men into Belgium where they hope to take a much-needed rest at a 10th century castle. The master of the house, Henri Tixier (Jean-Pierre Aumont), welcomes them with a surprising degree of enthusiasm. Tixier is married to his young niece, Therese (Astrid Heeren), and the couple would like to have a child, but since Tixier is impotent, he has been unable to father one. He encourages Falconer to see if he can have better luck with Therese. The men under Falconer's command have more than a few escapades of their own, as Sgt. Rossi (Peter Falk) seduces the wife of a local baker, an art historian among them tries to protect the treasures of the castle, and a car buff becomes fascinated by his first encounter with a Volkswagen. Amidst the surreal fun and games at the castle, the soldiers make the most of their well-deserved vacation until an invasion of German troops puts them back on the firing line. Directed by Sydney Pollack, Castle Keep was based on a novel by William Eastlake. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Lancaster, Patrick O'Neal, (more)
- 1975
- R
Jane Birkin stars in this sex farce as a young British prostitute in Paris who, after her soft-core business fails, decides to go big-time and incorporate herself, selling stock to four disparate investors. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Birkin, Patrick Dewaere, (more)
- 1953
Charge of the Lancers is an all too typical Columbia "B" adventure film of the 1950s, with inexpensive sets, fading stars, and miles of stock footage. Paulette Goddard, pushing 50, plays a lively gypsy girl who romance an British military officer (the robustly non-British Jean-Pierre Aumont) during the Crimean War of the 1850s. Goddard and Aumont are captured by the Russians, but escape to do some spying for the Allied cause. All of this leads up to the British victory at Sebastopol, staged with both eyes on the budget sheet by resourceful director William Castle. Charge of the Lancers was filmed in Technicolor, evidently the only real expenditure made by "quickie" producer Sam Katzman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paulette Goddard, Jean-Pierre Aumont, (more)
- 1937
This lightning-paced actioner is based on a popular series of French pulp novels. His somewhat effeminate moniker notwithstanding, Cheri-Bibi (Pierre Fresnay) is a two-fisted he-man gangster, albeit with a heart of gold. Sentenced to life imprisonment in a brutal French penal colony, Cheri-Bibi befriends wastrelly first offender Palas (Jean-Pierre Aumont), helping the boy to survive life behind bars. Also on hand is the matchless Marcel Dalio as a philosophical convict known as "The Giver." Dialogue is at a minimum: this is one instance where actions definitely speak louder than words. The original story for Cheri-Bibi was written by Gaston Leroux, of Phantom of the Opera fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Suzet Mais, Colette Darfeuil, (more)
- 1933
Dans le Rue (Song of the Streets) was based on a novel by J. H. Rosny. In anecdotal fashion, the film charts the progress of a gang of Parisian street youths, headed by Jacques (Jean-Pierre Aumont). Living for the moment and by his wits, Jacques assumes that anything he wants is there for the taking. This proves not to be true in the case of Rosalie (Madeleine Ozeray), daughter of neighborhood "fence" Schlamp (Vladimir Sokolff). Jacques is forced to fight another young tough for Rosalie's affections, winning the bout and the girl all at once. But all bad things must come to an end, as Jacques discovers when one of his robbery victims dies of heart failure, forcing his gang to hide out from the relentless gendarmes. Hardly a pleasant film, Dans le Rue is undeniably compelling, with a forceful performance by Jean-Pierre Aumont in one of his first important roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Pierre Aumont, Madeleine Ozeray, (more)
Known to English-speaking audiences as Day for Night, La nuit américaine was director François Truffaut's loving and humorous tribute to the communal insanity of making a movie. The film details the making of a family drama called "Meet Pamela" about the tragedy that follows when a young French man introduces his parents to his new British wife. Truffaut gently satirizes his own films with "Meet Pamela"'s overwrought storyline, but the real focus is on the chaos behind the scenes. One of the central actresses is continually drunk due to family problems, while the other is prone to emotional instability, and the male lead (Truffaut regular Jean-Pierre Leaud) starts to act erratically when his intermittent romance with the fickle script girl begins to fail. In addition to all this personal drama, the film is besieged by technical problems, from difficult tracking shots to stubborn animal actors. The inspiration for future satires of movie-making from Living in Oblivion to Irma Vep, La nuit américaine was considered slight by some critics in comparison to earlier Truffaut masterworks, but it went on to win the 1973 Oscar for Best Foreign Film. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacqueline Bisset, Valentina Cortese, (more)
- 1976
A woman (Madeleine Renaud) whose son (Jean-Pierre Aumont) has been estranged from her for years travels to visit him in Paris. Despite offers of money and position, he would prefer to remain a petty thief, gigolo, and paid dancer rather than have anything to do with his mother. She has factories in Indochina which, despite political reverses, still run under her direction, and they could have been put under his control. The lad is happy enough to steal the jewels and money she has left lying around for just that purpose, knowing that he is too proud to accept gifts. His unhappy childhood in Indochina has left him too bitter to be approached. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Madeleine Renaud, Jean-Pierre Aumont, (more)
In a comedy-farce that runs from black humor to slapstick, this story is one in which a mystery writer is caught unawares by his cousin, a vicar, who shows up unannounced for a visit. Since the servants have just walked out, the writer's wife hides out from the vicar, taking care of the cooking, cleaning and other household chores. To explain his wife's absence as hostess, the writer concocts an excuse which only makes the vicar convinced that he has done away with his spouse. Things go from bad to worse and eventually Scotland Yard is called in to clear things up. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Simon, Françoise Rosay, (more)
- 1967
Also known as Cauldron of Blood, Blind Man's Bluff is a Spanish-made horror film long on gore but short on logic. Several beautiful models have disappeared, and the prime suspect is blind sculptor Boris Karloff, a surly and secretive sort who produces skeletal statues. Lovely model Rosanda Monteros tries to get to the bottom of the mystery, and of course nearly winds up a victim herself. The killer is not Karloff but his wife Viveca Lindfors, who hopes to sustain her husband's reputation by providing fresh skeletons for his artwork. Lindfors ends up hoisted on her own petard when she accidentally dips her arm in a vat of acid. Yeccch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
This lush French melodrama set in post World War I Europe was filmed on location in remote areas of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The film is set in October 1918 and follows the return of Giorgino, a French lieutenant, as he searches a strange and spooky village for the retarded children he looked after before the war. The children have mysteriously disappeared and the only suspect is an enigmatic, but beautiful redhead. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Dahlgren, Mylene Farmer, (more)
- 1949
The French Hans le Marin secured an American distributor on the strength of its three stars. Jean-Pierre Aumont plays the title character, a Canadian sailor docked in Marseilles. Here he carries on a torrid romance with cabaret owner Dolores (Maria Montez). When he is robbed and left for dead, Hans awakens to discover that Dolores has disappeared. Ever hopeful that she will return, he takes a job as a nightclub bouncer, and dallies with gypsy girl Marie (Lilli Palmer). This little diversion results in even more trouble for the hapless Hans, who ends up on the lam from the law. Marcel Dalio pops up from time to time, espousing Gallic philosophy as only he can. Hans le Marin was also released as The Wicked City. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maria Montez, Jean-Pierre Aumont, (more)
A remake of the 1939 French film Battement de Couer, Heartbeat reunites star Ginger Rogers with her Kitty Foyle director Sam Wood. Ms. Rogers plays Arlette, a reform school alumnus who is recruited by Faginlike Professor Aristide, headmaster at a school for pickpockets. Before long, Arlette becomes Aristide's prize pupil, and is being groomed for bigger things. Assigned by a corrupt foreign ambassador (Adolphe Menjou) to steal a valuable watch from wealthy and handsome diplomat Pierre (Jean Pierre Aumont), Arlette not only bungles the job, but also falls in love with her would-be victim. Heartbeat wasn't the first mediocre American remake of a French film, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ginger Rogers, Jean-Pierre Aumont, (more)
- 1956
In this tearjerker, a woman, depressed with the course of her life after two failed marriages and a tepid career, decides to return to her hometown and find happiness with her ex-boyfriend. Unfortunately, his cruel and manipulative mother presents a formidable obstacle to their happiness. To prevent them from marrying, she at first fakes a heart attack, but then ends up dying of the real thing. The couple marries anyway, but the husband's happiness is marred by memories of his mother's death. The lonely wife then begins an affair with a French writer. When the husband finds them in a hotel room, the affair ends. It is not long before the despondent woman tries to take her life. Fortunately she fails, and things begin to improve when her husband releases his guilt and begins concentrating on their marriage. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Simmons, Guy Madison, (more)
