La Route du bonheur (1953)
Directed by Maurice Labro, Giorgio Simonelli

Film Review

With the musical hall still a thriving phenomenon in France in the 1950s, one kind of film which had immense popular appeal was that which brought together some of the greatest singers of the day, usually on the flimsiest of pretexts.  One such film is La Route du bonheur (which is perhaps better known under its Italian title Saluti e baci).  This not only features one of the unrivalled giants of jazz, Louis Armstrong, but also some of France's most iconic chansonniers - Georges Guétary, Yves Montand, Luis Mariano and Juliette Gréco.  The musical numbers are, as you would expect, the highpoint of the film - Guétary's Monica is by far the best and most original, and looks as if it may have been conceived by Jean Cocteau.  Linking these numbers is the merest pretence of a narrative which soon becomes repetitive, saccharine and tedious, and not even the amiable presence of a sprightly Philippe Lemaire can prevent this.  Slightly better examples of this kind of film include: Maurice Canonge's Boum sur Paris (1954) and Pierre Montazel's Paris chante toujours (1951).  Films such as this are almost always best watched on your DVD, with the remote control ready to hand so that you can fast-forward past all the dull bits (i.e. all that inane and often meaningless padding between the songs).

Film Synopsis

Marina is a schoolteacher in the small Italian village of Montecarlone.  One day, she launches an appeal on behalf of one of her more disadvantaged pupils, a little boy named Tonino.  The radio presenter Carlo Mastelli is moved by her appeal and, in an attempt to save his career, hires her for his programme, which he renames The Road to Happiness.  With famous singers from France and Italy lending their support, the radio show soon proves to be a staggering success.  In the end, Marina decides to marry Carlo...