''Jeannou'' is a 1943 French

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Léon Poirier Léon Poirier (25 August 1884 – 27 June 1968) was a French film director, screenwriter and film producer best known for his silent films from 1913 onwards. He directed some 25 films between 1913 and 1949. His most famous film today is '' Verdun ...

and starring

Michèle Alfa Michèle Alfa (born Joséphine Blanche Alfreda Bassignot; August 20, 1911 – August 24, 1987) was a French stage and film actress. After appearing mainly in supporting roles during the 1930s she starred in a number of films during the 1940s. D ...

Saturnin Fabre Saturnin Fabre (; 4 April 1884 – 4 October 1961) was a French film actor. Selected filmography * ''La rafale'' (1920) - comte de Bréchebel * ''Mademoiselle de La Seiglière'' (1921) * '' The Road Is Fine'' (1930) - Le professeur Pique * ...

and

Thomy Bourdelle Thomy Charles Bourdelle (20 April 1891 – 27 June 1972) was a French actor. Bourdelle was born in Paris and died in Toulon, Var, France. Selected filmography *'' Roger la Honte'' (1922) * '' The Red Inn'' (1923) * '' Surcouf'' (1925) * '' ...

. 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 ...

Raymond Druart Raymond is a male given name of Germanic origin. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund and Raimund, whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic ᚱᚨᚷ� ...

. It was partly shot on location in Mouzens 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 ...

region. The film was made during the

German occupation of France The Military Administration in France (; ) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and western France. This so-called ' was established in June 19 ...

and is notable for its Vichyist theme of returning to the land. Poirier had already displayed his

Nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

sympathies with his patriotic films ''

Verdun Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. In 843, the Treaty of V ...

'' and ''

The Call of Silence ''The Call of Silence'', also screened as ''The Call'' (French: ''L'Appel du Silence''), is a 1936 French drama film directed by Léon Poirier and starring Jean Yonnel, Pierre de Guingand and Jacqueline Francell. It is a biography based on the li ...

''.Crisp p.84

Cast

as Jeannou *

as Frochard *

as Peyrac *

Roger Duchesne Roger Duchesne (27 July 1906, Luxeuil-les-Bains, Haute-Saône – 25 December 1996) was a French film actor. He appeared in 30 films between 1934 and 1957, but is best remembered for playing the lead in ''Bob le flambeur'' (1956). He was the f ...

as Pierre Levasseur *

Pierre Magnier Pierre Frédéric Magnier (February 22, 1869 – October 15, 1959) was a French actor who began on the stage in the 1890s and became a prominent silent film actor in France. He was the second actor to portray ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' in any film i ...

as Le marquis de Cantagril *

Maurice Schutz Maurice Schutz (4 August 1866 – 22 March 1955) was a French film actor. He starred in some 91 films between 1918 and 1952. Selected filmography * '' Quatre-vingt-treize'' (1920) * ''Au-delà des lois humaines'' (1920) * '' The Three Masks'' ...

as Éloi des Farges * Henri Poupon *

Henri Arius Henri Arius (1897–1968) was a French film and stage actor.Crisp p.176 A character actor he appeared in a large number of films in wartime and post-war France. Selected filmography * '' Don't Shout It from the Rooftops'' (1943) * '' Jeannou'' (1 ...

Pierre Labry Pierre Labry (1885–1948) was a French stage actor, stage and film actor.Capua p.122 He was active in the French film industry between 1920 and 1948, appearing in more than a hundred films. Selected filmography * ''La croisade'' (1920) * ''Gigo ...

* Maurice Salabert * Lyne Carrel as Albertine *

Marcelle Géniat Marcelle Géniat (1881-1959) was a French film actress.Goble p. 121 She was born Eugénie Pauline Martin in St. Petersburg, Russia, to French parents. Partial filmography * ''Le retour du passé'' (1916) * ''L'imprévu'' (1917) - Hélène Rav ...

as Marceline * Mireille Perrey as Conchita de Cantagril

References

Bibliography

* Crisp, Colin. ''French Cinema—A Critical Filmography: Volume 2, 1940–1958''. Indiana University Press, 2015.

External links

* 1943 films French comedy films 1943 comedy films 1940s French-language films Films directed by Léon Poirier Gaumont (company) films French black-and-white films 1940s French films Films scored by Adolphe Borchard French-language comedy films {{1940s-France-film-stub