Je n'aime que toi (1949)
Directed by Pierre Montazel

Film Review

In the 1940s and 50s, Pierre Montazel was one of France's top cinematographers, evidenced by his impressive work on such diverse films as Roland Tual's Le Lit à colonnes (1942), Richard Pottier's Les Caves du Majestic (1945) and Jacques Becker's Touchez pas au grisbi (1954).  His career as a film director was somewhat less distinguished and encompassed half a dozen nondescript films, most of which are all but forgotten today.  The fact that the iconic singer Luis Mariano appears in three of Montazel's films evidently did little to secure him a place in posterity.

The first of Montazel's collaborations with Mariano, Je n'aime que toi, is a routine musical comedy (adapted from Jean Montazel's stage play Suiveur de Madame) which fails to take off, even though it pairs Mariano with one of the hottest French actresses of her day, Martine Carol (soon to become a massive star after her role in Richard Pottier's Caroline chérie).  It's surprising how dull and uninspired the film is, given the calibre of its cast.  In addition to the hyper-charismatic leads there's comedy support from husband-and-wife duo Robert Dhéry and Colette Brosset, and Jean Carmet crops up, fresh and funny as he invariably was at this early stage in his career.

An even bigger comedy legend - Louis de Funès - appears briefly (as Mariano's pianist), and you can't help wishing he had been given a much bigger part in the proceedings.  Predictable and pedestrian for the most part, Je n'aime que toi does come to life with its sporadic musical numbers, but it's far from being Mariano's greatest hour on screen.  His next feature for Montazel - Pas de week-end pour notre amour (1949) - is hardly an improvement; he gives far greater value with his spot in Montazel's likeable musical compendium Paris chante toujours (1953).

Film Synopsis

Renaldo Cortez is a world famous singer who lives only for his art.  Feeling neglected, his wife Irène looks for attention elsewhere and soon begins an affair with a young man, Gérard, with whom she elopes.  Surprised by his wife's sudden departure, Renaldo charges his best friend Arthur Bidois with finding her and returning her to him.