Philippe Lemaire Movies

Released in some markets as The Toy Wife, the French Frou-Frou stars Dany Robin in the title role. The heroine is a WW1-era cigarette girl who captures the hearts of four wealthy, middle-aged cabaret patrons. The jovial foursome take it upon themselves to pluck Frou-Frou out of her tawdry surroundings and transform her into "a lady". Through their sponsorship, she emerges as one of the top singing attractions of the Roaring Twenties--and, eventually, as the wife of one of her "fairy godfathers." A few early scenes, in which Frou-Frou is shown living without benefit of clergy with one of her benefactors, were trimmed for American consumption. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

La Rage au Corps (Tempest in the Flesh) stars Francoise Arnoul as Clara, a woman with quite a past and a questionable future. Employed as a lunchroom worker by a Parisian construction company, Clara is rescued from a potentially fatal on-the-job accident by a handsome laborer. She expresses her gratitude sexually, and soon the rest of the workers are consumed by lust and jealousy. A psychiatrist determines that Clara is a nymphomaniac, who can be "cured" only by truly falling in love. Eventually this happens, but not before several torrid affairs (many of which proved too torrid for the American censors). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this musical farce, bandleader Ray Ventura runs across a baby and mistakes it for his grandchild and takes the tot on tour with his orchestra. Meanwhile, the infant's parents frantically wonder where he has gone. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

L'Amour Toujours L'Amour is based on a French theatrical piece, jointly conceived by a group of very young aspiring actors. The story focuses on five young people who have just failed their school exams. The quintet retreats to the home of one of the students to cram for the next test. Gradually, the students get to know one another intimately, leading to a series of "undying" romances--undying, that is, until the next semester. One wonders if L'Amour Toujours L'Amour was ever seen by the purveyors of such 1980s "brat pack" films as The Breakfast Club. Of the five young leading players, Philippe Lemaire stands out as a macho type whose tough veneer is easily shattered by his fickle sweetheart (Brigitte Auber). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Nous Irons a Monte Carlo guest-stars the Ray Ventura Band and French comedian Max Elloy (best remembered as the stateless refugee in Laurel and Hardy's Utopia). The thinnish storyline concerns a baby boy left in the care of Ventura's drummer. Unable to care for the child himself, the drummer leaves the bundle on Ventura's doorstep, claiming that it is the offspring of one of the other musicians. Unbeknownst to everyone but the audience, the baby is actually the son of a divorce-bound Hollywood actor and actress (John van Dreelen and Audrey Hepburn), who spend most of the film frantically searching for their missing offspring. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Opera star Beniamino Gigli stars as The Singing Taxi Driver. When not picking up fares and bursting into song, Gigli searches for the parents of a cute baby who was left in the back seat of his cab. Along the way, our hero suffers one setback after another, but he always recovers with a song in his heart and a smile on his lips -- or is it the other way around? The film's romantic angle is handled by Danielle Godet and Virginia Belmont. Comedy relief is in the capable hands of Aroldo Tieri, doing a "Mischa Auer" turn as a vainglorious nobleman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Strange Deception combines a standard revenge tale with a postwar reenactment of the first four books of the New Testament. Freshly released from a Russian POW camp, Italian soldier Raf Vallone tries to discover who betrayed his brother to the Nazis. Alain Cuny is an enigmatic carpenter who has confessed to causing the brother's death. Cuny is slain by Vallone, whereupon it is revealed that the carpenter sacrificed himself on behalf of the real culprit, Phillipe Lemaire. Vallone catches up with Lemaire, but is unable to kill him, thanks to the Christlike example of Cuny. Originally titled Il Cristo Proibito (The Forbidden Christ, just so we don't miss the point), this film represented the movie directorial debut of novelist Curzio Malaparte, who also wrote the musical score. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Nous Irons a Paris is a gentle but pointed satire of the government-controlled French radio industry. Fired from his singing job, hero Jacques (Phillipe Lemaire) sets up a "pirate" radio station with the help of a few friends. Before long, Jacques' illegal broadcast facility gains enormous popularity, as well as the vindictive scrutiny of the French Radio Administration. Fortunately, Jacques and his cronies always manage to stay one step ahead of the authorities -- at least until they set up shop on an old barge. All ends happily for everyone concerned, especially Jacques and his lady love Micheline (Francoise Arnoul). Enhancing the box-office appeal of Nous Irons a Paris is the presence of several surprise guest stars, ranging from Gallic favorite Martine Carol to Hollywood's George Raft! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide