Jules Berry Movies
After a false start in silent films, prominent French stage star Jules Berry achieved prominence in talking pictures, beginning with the French-German co-production Quick (1932). He is best remembered for his superb character work in the films of Jean Renoir and Marcel Carne. His most famous screen appearances were as the sadistic nightclub owner in Carne's Le Jour se Leve (1939) and as a bureaucratic Satan in the same director's Les Visiteurs du Soir (aka The Devil's Envoy [1942]). A more benign Jules Berry was seen as the title character in 1937's Arsene Lupin Detective. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1946
Etoile Sans Lumiere (Star Without Light) represents a rare screen appearance by French singing sensation Edith Piaf. The plot is something of a predecessor to Hollywood's Singin' in the Rain (1952), albeit with a less happy denouement. Piaf plays an aspiring singer who tries to break into films during the early talkie era. She is hired to dub the singing and speaking voice of a silent-movie favorite (Mila Parely). Sworn to secrecy, the fill-in must stand by in silence as the star receives all the praises and plaudits. When the truth is revealed, the result is disastrous for everyone concerned. Etoile Sans Lumiere is chiefly memorable as the screen debut of Edith Piaf's protégé Yves Montand. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edith Piaf, Mila Parély, (more)
- 1946
Desarrol is based on the highly regarded Sardou stage drama Odette. A classic example of Sardou's "well made play," the story concerns the amorous escapades of a carefree rake. The doleful ending of the piece is all the more powerful because the audience is thoroughly unprepared for it. Paul Achard heads an excellent cast of French performers, effortlessly shifting from farce to drama at the wink of an eye. To avoid confusion with the unrelated 1951 British film Odette, Desarrol was titled Distress for its English-language release. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Valentine Tessier, Jean Mercanton, (more)
- 1946
Reves D'Amour is a fictionalization of events in the life of pianist-composer Franz Liszt. The story concerns the torrid romance between Liszt and the Comtesse d'Agoult, which scandalized Europe in the mid-19th century. Richard Willm stars as Liszt, with Annie Ducaux as his aristocratic paramour. The film was adapted from the play by Rene Fauchois, with Liszt's compositions woven into the musical score as an added treat. Reves d'Amour was released outside France as Love Dreams, with several minutes trimmed by the censors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Annie Ducaux, Jules Berry, (more)
- 1945
In films from 1937, Bernard Blier at last essays his first starring role in Monsieur Gregoire S'Evade. The title character is a meek insurance clerk who finds himself the unwitting dupe of a gang of jewel thieves. Worried that he'll be blamed for the theft, M. Gregoire takes it on the lam (hence the title). He undergoes numerous amusing misadventures before he is able to clear himself and nab the real crooks. Oddly, Monsieur Gregoire S'Evade is not listed on most of the published "official" resumes of Bernard Blier's film work, even though it was his "breakthrough" picture. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvette Lebon, Gaby Andreu, (more)
- 1945
Messieurs Ludovic serves as a showcase for the considerable thespic talents of Odette Joyeaux. Escaping from her grimy coal-mining hometown, Joyeaux intends to seek her fortune in the big city. Within what seems like minutes, she is romantically entangled with trouble-making Jean Chevrier, idealistic engineer Bernard Blier, and rough-hewn but likeable millionaire Marcel Herrand. The film's most inventive sequence, an homage to the silent dramas of old, occurs at the very beginning. Messieurs Ludovic is based on Ludo, the French stage hit by Pierre Scize. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julien Carette, Bernard Blier, (more)
- 1945
L'Assassin n'est pa Comable translates as The Murderer is Not Guilty -- a seemingly paradoxical title, but perfectly true within context of the story. Jules Berry plays a famous film star whose latest production is plagued with bad luck. Eventually a murder is committed on the set, and the most likely suspected is arrested. Berry believes that the "killer" is innocent, and decides to play detective to prove it. Of interest is the fact that the story unfolds in its entirety at a movie studio, thereby saving the producers the cost of building sets. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacqueline Gauthier, Rosine Derean, (more)
- 1942
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
- Starring:
- Arletty, Jules Berry, (more)
