''Secrets d’alcôve'' is a 1954 French

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

made up of four sketches by Henri Decoin (segment "Le billet de logement"), Jean Delannoy ("Le lit de la Pompadour"),

Gianni Franciolini Gianni Franciolini (1 June 1910 – 1 January 1960) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 19 films between 1939 and 1959. Life and career Born in Florence, in 1929 he moved to Paris to study journalism; there he came ...

("Le divorce") and

Ralph Habib Ralph Habib (Paris, 29 June 1912 – Paris, 27 June 1969) was a French film director of Lebanese origin. He started his film career with Pathé. He later worked as assistant director notably Jean Dréville and Jean-Paul Le Chanois before directin ...

("Riviera-Express"). Kingsley International released the film in the UK.

Cast by segment

*"Le Billet de logement" features Jeanne Moreau and

Richard Todd Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd (11 June 19193 December 2009) was an Irish-British actor known for his leading man roles of the 1950s. He received a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, and an Academy Award for Best Actor n ...

.Marianne Gray - La Moreau: A Biography of Jeanne Moreau - 1996 Page 30 As soon as Moreau wrapped on that film she went into two more for Decoin. The first was a melodrama made in 1953 by four different directors, each on a twenty-minute 'bed' theme, called Secrets d' Alcove (Secrets of the Bedroom). She played a pregnant woman in the episode .., with Richard Todd. Todd remembers the film, made when he was a keen young British leading man who had worked in a couple of French films after spending much of his war service ... *"Le Lit de la Pompadour" with Martine Carol,

François Périer François Périer (born François Pillu; 10 November 1919 – 29 June 2002), was a French actor renowned for his expressiveness and diversity of roles. He made over 110 film and TV appearances between 1938 and 1996, with notable excursion into ...

and

Bernard Blier Bernard Blier (11 January 1916 – 29 March 1989) was a French character actor. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where his father, a researcher at the Pasteur Institute, was posted at the time. Life and career His rotund features and ...

*"Le Divorce" with Dawn Addams and

Vittorio De Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement. Four of the films he directed won Academy Awards: ''Sciuscià'' and ''Bicycle Thieves'' (honorary) ...

*"Riviera-Express" with Françoise Arnoul and

Marcel Mouloudji Marcel André Mouloudji (16 September 1922 – 14 June 1994) was a French singer and actor who was born in Paris and died in Neuilly-sur-Seine. He sang songs written by Boris Vian and Jacques Prévert. Personal life Mouloudji was born to Algeria ...

Plot

The story brings with four travellers forced by weather to find temporary shelter who tell four stories, whose common point is a bed. *"The lodging slip" - During the war, an English officer captain Davidson comes to the house of Jeanne Plisson with a requisition slip for accommodation. Her husband is absent at the front while she is pregnant. During the night, she gives birth and Davidson must act as midwife. *"The Divorce" - Roberto, an American living in New York wants to divorce. He shares the night at a hotel with Janet. *"Riviera Express" - truck driver Riquet meets Martine whose car has broken down. *"The bed of Pompadour" - a bed is mis-delivered to Agnes

References

1954 films 1950s French-language films French anthology films Films directed by Henri Decoin Films directed by Jean Delannoy Films directed by Gianni Franciolini Films directed by Ralph Habib French black-and-white films 1950s French films {{1950s-France-film-stub