Jean Wall Movies
- 1958
Un Drole de Dimanche (What a Sunday) stars Danielle Darrieux as Catherine and Bourvil as her ex-husband Jean. By chance, Catherine and Jean are reunited five years after she walked out of his life. In a fit of romantic nostalgia, Jean mentally reconstructs the events that led up to their separation. He then determines to win her back, certain that he'll never, ever make the same mistakes again? or will he? Listed fifth in the cast of Un Drole de Dimanche is a young sprout named Jean Belmondo, who as Jean-Paul Belmondo would burst onto the international film scene in Godard's Breathless. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danielle Darrieux, Bourvil, (more)
The feature-film debut of famed director Louis Malle is an interesting, modern film noir with the classic theme of lovers plotting to kill the husband and make it look like suicide (reminiscent of The Postman Always Rings Twice). Jeanne Moreau, as Florence Carala, gives an astonishing performance, perverse but naive as she leads her young lover down a path that can only lead to doom for both of them. Malle and his cinematographer Henri Decae make extensive use of Paris at night, giving the film the feel of claustrophobia and desperation reminiscent of the classic noir films. The excellent score by Miles Davis adds to the entire effect of this mystery thriller. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeanne Moreau, Maurice Ronet, (more)
- 1955
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
- Starring:
- Dany Robin, Gino Cervi, (more)
- 1953
After her divorce from director John Huston, actress Evelyn Keyes divided her time between Hollywood and Europe. It was during one of her stopovers in France that Keyes starred in C'Est Arrive a Paris (It Happened in Paris). She is cast as vacationing heiress Pat, who is sick to death of the sightseeing tours arranged by her uncle (Paul Faivre). During one such excursion, she enjoys a romance with Russian prince Vlad (Henri Vidal). What Pat doesn't know is that her prince is a con artist, who is being bankrolled by two confederates in order to woo the girl and gain access to her inheritance. C'est Arrive a Paris was filmed in two versions, English and French; it was the English version which was released to American television in the late 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Evelyn Keyes, Henri Vidal, (more)
- 1951
The sheer star power of Viviane Romance makes the more absurd passages of Crossroads of Passion tolerable. Set during WW II, the story concentrates on the activities of anti-Nazi saboteurs in Lisbon. Flying in the face of Portugal's wartime neutrality, the saboteurs do their best to knock off as many Germans as possible. Romance plays the lover of a murdered Nazi bigwig, and she intends to wreak vengeance on the killers--until the obligatory eighth-reel epiphany. Billed second in Crossroads of Passion is young Valentina Cortese, on the verge of bigger things. The film was originally released in France in 1947 as La Carrefour des Passions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Viviane Romance, Valentina Cortese, (more)
- 1950
In this comedy, a charming (at least he thinks so) king comes to Paris to sign a treaty and quickly learns more about French customs and temperament than he ever wanted to. When the senator he has come to see learns that the king is interested in his wife and mistress, the conniving fellow arranges it so he can have both of them. Following the signing of the treaty, the king, dreadfully pleased with himself, returns to his home. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1950
In this drama, a free-spirited vagabond's life changes dramatically when he learns that he has inherited a fortune. Unfortunately, he also learns that he has also been named the estate's executor. He refuses and this causes problems for the other two heir who cannot claim their share until he accepts his. They therefore endeavor to change his mind until a fourth heir, and impoverished woman, turns up. In the end, the wanderer can no bear longer to watch the wasteful excesses of the idle rich. He takes his share, creates a rest camp for vagabonds, and hits the road again. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1948
This French WW II film chronicles the invasion of France by scores of English paratroopers who have come to bedevil the Nazi troops before D-Day. Much of the story centers on the preparation of the troops and upon the planning of the invasion. The rest follows the paratroopers as they team-up with French fighters and fulfill their missions. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Blanchar
- 1945
In this French romance, a genius composer/violinist finds great success but no love because he cannot seem to connect with his soul mate, a beautiful woman whom he met and wooed when they were both young. It was he who ended the relationship. Ten years pass, and finally they meet again. Now he is ready to commit to her. Unfortunately, his current girl friend has her own ideas. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Louis Barrault, Edwige Feuillère, (more)
- 1936
A wealthy doctor's bratty son throws a temper tantrum when his father denies him a car. To get even, the spoiled sprout heads for France to join a gang of car thieves. Fortunately, his devoted father speeds across the Channel to save him from further travels down a ruinous road. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1936
Filmed in 1936 as Mr. Flow, this Robert Siodmak production was based on a novel by Gaston Leroux. Set in summertime Paris, the labyrinthine plotline is set in motion by the title character, a gentleman safecracker played by Louis Jouvet. To recount the entire plotline would require a dictionary-sized synopsis, but its essence can be captured in a single sentence: the clever Mr. Flow is finally outmaneuvered by his beautiful but chronically unfaithful mistress, Lady Helena Scarlett (Edwidge Feuillere). At the time of the film's release, Robert Siodmak was brought to task by critics who felt that the director was trying too hard to imitate Ernst Lubitsch. Such an accusation could never be levelled against Siodmak's Hollywood films, which relied heavily upon horror and melodrama. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edwige Feuillère, Mila Parély, (more)
