''Entente cordiale'' is a 1939 French drama film directed by

Marcel L'Herbier Marcel L'Herbier (; 23 April 1888 – 26 November 1979) was a French filmmaker who achieved prominence as an avant-garde theorist and imaginative practitioner with a series of silent films in the 1920s. His career as a director continued unti ...

and starring Gaby Morlay, Victor Francen and Pierre Richard-Willm. The film depicts events between the Fashoda crisis in 1898 and the 1904 signing of the

Entente Cordiale The Entente Cordiale (; ) comprised a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and the French Third Republic, French Republic which saw a significant improvement in Fr ...

creating an alliance between Britain and France and ending their historic rivalry. It was based on the book ''King Edward VII and His Times'' by André Maurois. It was made with an eye to its propaganda value, following the

Munich Agreement The Munich Agreement was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Third Republic, French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreement provided for the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–194 ...

of September 1938 and in anticipation of the outbreak of a

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

which would test the bonds between Britain and France in a conflict with

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

Cast

* Gaby Morlay ... La reine Victoria * Victor Francen ... Édouard VII * Pierre Richard-Willm ... Capitaine Charles Roussel * André Lefaur ... Lord Clayton * Arlette Marchal ... La reine Alexandra * Junie Astor ... Une actrice / An actress * Nita Raya ... Music Hall Star * Dorville ... Le cocher / Coachman * Carine Nelson ... Marjorie, une dame d'honneur * Jean Périer ... Président Loubet * Marcelle Praince ... Lady Clayton *

Jacques Baumer Jacques Baumer (born Jacques Henri Nusbaumer; 12 April 1885 – 20 June 1951), was a French theatre director and comedian. Filmography * 1932: '' That Scoundrel Morin'' by Georges Lacombe * 1933: ''Étienne'' by Jean Tarride * 1936: ' by Max ...

... Clémenceau *

Jacques Grétillat Jacques Marie Gaëtan Grétillat (26 August 1885 – 19 December 1950) was a French actor and film director. Grétillat was born in Vitry-sur-Seine (Val-de-Marne), and died in Paris. Partial filmography * ''Hamlet'' (1908, Short) - Hamlet * ...

... Député Roussel *

Bernard Lancret Bernard Lancret (4 September 1912 – 5 September 1983) was a French film actor. He appeared in over thirty films between 1935 and 1956 in a mixture of leading and supporting roles. He played the composer Franz Schubert in the 1940 film '' Séré ...

... Jean Roussel *

Janine Darcey Janine Darcey (14 January 1917 – 1 October 1993) was a French film actress. She appeared in 60 films between 1936 and 1993. Partial filmography * ''La tendre ennemie'' (1936) - La cousine (uncredited) * '' Forty Little Mothers'' (1936) * ...

... Sylvia Clayton * Jean Worms ...

Théophile Delcassé Théophile Delcassé (; 1 March 185222 February 1923) was a French politician who served as foreign minister from 1898 to 1905. He is best known for his hatred of German Empire, Germany and efforts to secure alliances with Russian Empire, Russ ...

Jaque Catelain Jaque Catelain (9 February 1897 – 5 March 1965) was a French actor who came to prominence in silent films of the 1920s, and who continued acting in films and on stage until the 1950s. He also wrote and directed two silent films himself, and he ...

... Le prince consort *

Jean Toulout Jean Toulout (28 September 1887 – 23 October 1962) was a French film actor who appeared in more than 100 films between 1911 and 1959. Selected filmography * '' La Digue'' (1911) * '' The Mask of Horror'' (1912) * '' The Tenth Symphony'' ...

...

Lord Salisbury Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (; 3 February 183022 August 1903), known as Lord Salisbury, was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United ...

* André Roanne ...

Arthur Balfour Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour (; 25 July 184819 March 1930) was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. As Foreign Secretary ...

Jean d'Yd Jean Paul Félix Didier Perret, who used the stage name Jean d'Yd, was a French actor and comedian who was born in Paris on 17 May 1880. He died in Vernon, Eure, France on 14 May 1964. Selected filmography *1923: ''La Dame de Monsoreau (film ...

... Joë Chamberlain * Louis Seigner ... L'ambassadeur d'Allemagne *

Robert Pizani Robert Pizani (26 April 1896 – 17 June 1965) was a French stage and film actor whose 45-year career encompassed leading roles in numerous plays, revues and operettas as well as dozens of films. In operetta Pizani's roles in operetta and musical ...

...

Paul Cambon Pierre Paul Cambon (; 20 January 1843 – 29 May 1924) was a French diplomat and brother of Jules Cambon. Biography Cambon was born and died in Paris. He was called to the Parisian bar, and became private secretary to Jules Ferry in the '' pr ...

Aimé Clariond Aimé Clariond (10 May 1894 – 31 December 1959) was a French stage and film actor. Clariond was born in Périgueux, Dordogne, France and died in Paris. Selected filmography * '' The Brothers Karamazov'' (1931) - Ivan Karamazoff * '' Amourous ...

... L'ambassadeur de Russie * Abel Tarride ... La maître d'hôtel * Sinoël ... Le concierge * Pierre Labry ... Un journaliste / A journalist *

Jean Galland Jean Galland (28 May 1887 – 18 July 1967) was a French film actor. Selected filmography * ''Paris by Night'' (1930) * ''Fantômas'' (1932) * '' The Oil Sharks'' (1933) * ''The Barber of Seville'' (1933) * '' The Scandal'' (1934) * '' Cease Firi ...

... Général Kitchener * Liliane Lesaffre ... La fille du concierge * Suzanne Devoyod ... Une dame d'honneur * Ginette Gaubert ...

Jeanne Granier Jeanne Granier (; 31 March 1852 – 18 or 19 December 1939) was a French soprano, born and died in Paris, whose career was centred on the French capital.Gänzl K. Jeanne Granier. In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.'' Macmillan, London an ...

Gabrielle Fontan Gabrielle Fontan (16 April 1873 – 8 September 1959) was a French film actress. She appeared in more than 120 films between 1927 and 1959. Selected filmography * '' Misdeal'' (1928) * '' The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard'' (1929) * '' The La ...

... Une dame de la Cour * Génia Vaury ... Mme de Lormes * Christiane Ribes ... Mme de Vaumoise

Production

''Entente Cordiale'' was the third in Marcel L'Herbier's series of "Chroniques filmées" (following '' La Tragédie impériale'' and '' Adrienne Lecouvreur'', both in 1938) in which he dramatised historical subjects in a manner "very close to reality", albeit reluctantly combined with some romantic fiction. Filming took place at the Studios de Saint-Maurice (south-east of Paris) in January & February 1939, and it was ready for its gala première in April before representatives of the French and British governments.Marcel L'Herbier. ''La Tête qui tourne''. Paris: Belfond, 1979. p. 272.

References

External links

* 1939 films French historical films 1930s historical films Films set in 1904 Films directed by Marcel L'Herbier French black-and-white films Cultural depictions of Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener Depictions of Queen Victoria on film 1930s French films {{1930s-France-film-stub