''Distress'' (French: ''Désarroi'') is a 1946 French

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 Robert-Paul Dagan and starring

Jules Berry Jules Berry (; born Marie Louis Jules Paufichet; 9 February 1883 – 23 April 1951) was a French actor. Biography Early life Berry and his two brothers were born to parents who sold hardware and settled in Poitou. The family moved to Paris in 1 ...

, Jean Mercanton and Gabrielle Dorziat. It is based on the 1881 play ''Odette'' by

Victorien Sardou Victorien Sardou ( , ; 5 September 1831 – 8 November 1908) was a French dramatist. He is best remembered today for his development, along with Eugène Scribe, of the well-made play. He also wrote several plays that were made into popular 19th-c ...

.Goble p.734 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 ...

Roland Quignon.

Synopsis

The day before her wedding Martine discovers that her mother, who she had thought was dead, is an adventuress with a bad reputation who frequents

casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

s and

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

s. Her prospective in-laws are horrified by this and want to call the whole wedding off.

Cast

as Frontenac * Suzy Carrier as Martine * Jean Debucourt as Clermont-Latour * Gabrielle Dorziat as Mme Meillan * Léonce Corne as Simonin * Jean Mercanton as Pierre * Valentine Tessier * Tramel as Carrière * Thérèse Aspar

References

Bibliography

* Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999.

External links

* 1946 films 1946 drama films French drama films 1940s French-language films French films based on plays Films based on works by Victorien Sardou French black-and-white films 1940s French films Films scored by Henri Verdun {{1940s-France-film-stub