''Colonel Pontcarral'' or ''Pontcarral, Colonel of the Empire'' (French: ''Pontcarral, colonel d'empire'') is a 1942 French

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Jean Delannoy Jean Delannoy (; 12 January 1908 – 18 June 2008) was a French actor, film editor, screenwriter and film director. Biography Although Delannoy was born in a Paris suburb, his family was from Haute-Normandie in the north of France. He was a Pro ...

and starring

Pierre Blanchar Pierre Blanchar (; 30 June 1892 – 21 November 1963) was a French actor. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1922 and 1961. Blanchar was married to actress Marthe Vinot, with whom he had a daughter, actress Dominique Blanchar. He pl ...

, Annie Ducaux and Suzy Carrier. Williams p.267-68 The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Serge Piménoff while the costumes were by Georges Annenkov.

Synopsis

Pontcarral, a

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

of the

First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...

, remains loyal to the memory of the deposed

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

. He struggles to accept the new France of the

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * Ab ...

and lives on his estate in the

Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; ) is a large rural departments of France, department in south west France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and ...

. He enters into a complex relationship with his new wife. Following the

July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after French Revolution, the first of 1789–99. It led to the overthrow of King Cha ...

he is restored to his former rank and volunteers to serve in the Conquest of Algeria.

Cast

as Pontcarral * Annie Ducaux as Garlone * Suzy Carrier as Sybille * Charles Granval as Le marquis de Ransac *

Jean Marchat Jean Marchat (1902–1966) was a French film actor who appeared in around fifty films during his career. He made his film debut in 1931 and appeared in Maurice Tourneur's '' Departure'' the same year.Waldman p.144 Selected filmography * '' Depart ...

as Hubert de Rozans * Charlotte Lysès as Madame de Mareilhac *

Guillaume de Sax Guillaume de Sax (1889–1945) was a Belgian actor. De Sax was born Guillaume Henri Robert de Segur Lamoignon in Belgium and died in France. He was married to the actress Cécile Sorel. Partial filmography * '' Ernest the Rebel'' (1938) * '' Thr ...

as Le général *

Marcel Delaître Marcel Delaître (1888–1963) was a French film and stage actor.Crisp p.94 Selected filmography * '' Happy Hearts'' (1932) * ''Lilac'' (1932) * '' Poliche'' (1934) * ''Street Without a Name'' (1934) * ''Crime and Punishment'' (1935) * '' Girls ...

as Austerlitz * Simone Valère as Blanche de Mareilhac *

Jacques Louvigny Jacques Louvigny (1884–1951) was a French stage and film actor.Hayward p.241 Selected filmography * '' Delphine'' (1931) * ''On purge bébé'' (1931) * '' Fanfare of Love'' (1935) * '' The Squadron's Baby'' (1935) * ''The Lover of Madame Vidal' ...

as Mareilhac * Lucien Nat as Garron *

Alexandre Rignault Alexandre Rignault (14 February 1901 – 2 April 1985) was a French actor. He appeared in more than a hundred films between 1931 and 1985. Biography He was born on February 14, 1901 in Paris 5th, at his parents' home, rue Guy-de-La-Brosse. H ...

as La facteur * Jean Chaduc as

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for Piano solo, solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown ...

* Marc Dantzer as

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

* Robert Christidès as

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas , was a French novelist and playwright. His works have been translated into many languages and he is one of the mos ...

Madeleine Suffel Madeleine Suffel (1899–1974) was a French film and stage actress.Palmer & Michael p.274 She played supporting roles in a number of films from the early 1930s onwards. Selected filmography * '' A Rare Bird'' (1935) * '' School for Coquettes'' (1 ...

as Marthe * Renée Thorel as Madame de Saint-Sory *

Léonce Corne Léonce Charles Corne (18 March 1894 – 31 December 1977) was a French film actor. He appeared in 120 films between 1931 and 1974. Selected filmography * '' The Girl and the Boy'' (1931) * ''Luck'' (1931) * '' Rouletabille the Aviator'' ( ...

as L'huissier * Jean Joffre as L'aubergiste * Alexandre Mihalesco as Un conspirateur *

André Carnège André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries, as well in Portugal, ...

as Le procureur du roi * Jean Pignol as Le capitaine

References

Bibliography

* Rège, Philippe. ''Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Volume 1''. Scarecrow Press, 2009. * Sieglohr, Ulrike (ed.) ''Heroines Without Heroes: Reconstructing Female and National Identities in European Cinema, 1945-51''. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016. * Williams, Alan Larson. ''Republic of Images: A History of French Filmmaking''. Harvard University Press, 1992.

External links

* 1942 films 1940s French-language films Films directed by Jean Delannoy French historical drama films 1940s historical drama films Films based on French novels Films set in the 1820s Films set in the 1830s French black-and-white films 1942 drama films 1940s French films Pathé films Films scored by Louis Beydts {{1940s-France-film-stub