Film Review
Having directed Raimu in one comedy,
Mam'zelle Nitouche (1931), Marc
Allégret made good use of his comedic talents in another,
adapted from Paul Gavault's hugely popular 1909 stage play
La Petite chocolatière.
This is the third occasion that Gavault's play had been adapted for
cinema, following two silent versions directed by André Liabel and René Hervil
in 1914 and 1927 respectively. Although somewhat dated, Allégret's film is
eminently watchable, an amiable little comedy that is sustained by the
combined talents of Raimu and his likeable co-stars Pierre Bertin,
Jacqueline Francell and Michèle Verly. Allégret's
muse of the period, Simone Simon, crops up in a small 'below stairs'
role, awaiting the lead part in the film that would launch her screen
career,
Lac aux dames (1934).
"Je suis un pinceau qui pense!" declares Raimu, here cast as possibly
the world's least competent portrait painter. Any actor who can
deliver a line like that with a straight face is clearly someone of no
mean stature, but it is with the visual gags that Raimu seems to have
most fun - the scene where his gun explodes in his face would not be
out of place in a Marx brothers film or Looney Tunes cartoon.
La Petite chocolatière is a
comparatively minor entry in the filmographies of both Raimu and Marc
Allégret. In common with many films of this era, it
suffers somewhat from the fact that it resembles a filmed piece of
theatre, but the enthusiastic performances make up for this and after a
stuttering beginning it ends up being an enjoyable little
divertissement.
© James Travers 2014
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Marc Allégret film:
L'Hôtel du libre échange (1934)
Film Synopsis
Shortly after getting engaged to his boss's daughter, mild-mannered
civil servant Paul Normand invites an artist friend, Félicien
Bédarride, and his girlfriend Rosette, to spend a few days with
him at his house in the country. The three friends have settled
into a harmonious routine when they receive news that Paul's future
father-in-law, Monsieur Mingassol, intends paying a visit with his
daughter. On the night before Mingassol's arrival, a car breaks
down outside Paul's house and he is obliged to give up his bed to its
owner, Benjamine Lapistolle, the truculent daughter of a chocolate
magnate. When Mingassol arrives the next morning he is
scandalised when he sees two attractive young women - Rosette and
Benjamine - taking breakfast together under his prospective
son-in-law's roof. Believing that Paul's future is best served by
marrying the chocolate heiress, Félicien drives away both
Mingassol and Benjamine's fiancé, before setting out to convince
Benjamine that Paul is desperately in love with
her...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.