Fausse alerte (1945)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Jacques de Baroncelli

Writer:

Michel Duran (writer)

Release Date:

5 September 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

Cabaret star Zazu intervenes when young lovers are sundered by their parents' feud.

Plot Keywords:

Paris | WWII

Cast

Josephine Baker	...	Zazou Clairon
Micheline Presle	...	Claire Ancelot (as Micheline Prelle)
Georges Marchal	...	Bernard Dalban
Raymond Aimos	...	Honoré Petru (as Aimos)
Jean Tissier	...	Grégoire
Gabrielle Dorziat	...	Madame Ancelot
Saturnin Fabre	...	Monsieur Dalban
Marguerite Pierry	...	Mademoiselle Espérajou
Lucien Baroux	...	Léon, le clochard
Yves Deniaud	...	Le journaliste
Palmyre Levasseur	...	La patronne du bistrot
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rivers Cadet
Alice Didier
Marcelle Monthil
Georges Paulais

Also Known As:

À Paris un soir (France) (working title)
Abri 39 (France) (working title)
The French Way (USA)
Un soir d'alerte (France) (working title)

Runtime:

90 min | USA:74 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Flag Films

Trivia:

The film was shot in 1940 but its released delayed because of the war. It was eventually released in June 1945.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 6 (1999) (V)

Soundtrack:

MON COEUR EST UN OISEAU DES ILES

very 40's style French comedy

No, this isn't a Josephine Baker vehicle, but neither is she just a cameo. It's an ensemble film, and she fits in well, adding her spirit and charm without upstaging any of the rest of the cast.

French sophisticated comedy was a different flavor from the American screwball comedy of the period, but just as funny if you understand the French outlook. More understated, more accepting of folly as the status quo.

Basically this is a Romeo & Juliette tale. The feud between the families arose because the father of the young man published research proving that the great-x-grandmother of the young woman had NOT had an affair with Napoleon. This was seen by mademoiselle's mama as besmirching the honor/sustaining-myth of her family. If this premise doesn't at least make you smile, then this isn't the film for you.

Being comedy rather than tragedy, of course the lovers manage, with the aid of Baker, a charming clochard (hobo), and a couple of air-raids, to finally bring the families together so they can marry.

Not a great film, but not a bad one either; a reasonable evening's entertainment if you like the Gallic take on life.