''Beating Heart'' (French: ''Battement de coeur'') is a 1940 French

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Henri Decoin Henri Decoin (18 March 1890 – 4 July 1969) was a French film director and screenwriter, who directed more than 50 films between 1933 and 1964. He was also a swimmer who won the national title in 1911 and held the national record in the 500 ...

and starring

Danielle Darrieux Danielle Yvonne Marie Antoinette Darrieux (; 1 May 1917 – 17 October 2017) was a French actress of stage, television and film, as well as a singer and dancer. Beginning in 1931, she appeared in more than 110 films. She was one of France's g ...

, Claude Dauphin and

André Luguet André Luguet (15 May 1892 – 24 May 1979) was a French stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1910 and 1970. He was born in Fontenay-sous-Bois, France, and died in Cannes, France. His daughter Rosine Luguet became ...

. It was shot at the

Billancourt Studios Billancourt Studios was a film studio in Paris which operated between 1922 and 1992. Located in Boulogne-Billancourt, it was one of the leading French studios. It was founded in the silent era by Henri Diamant-Berger. During the Second World War ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. The film' sets were designed by the

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

Léon Barsacq Léon Barsacq (18 October 1906 – 23 December 1969) was a Russian-born and naturalized French production designer, art director and set decorator. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Art Direction for the film '' Th ...

and

Jean Perrier Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...

. It was inspired by the 1939 Italian film ''

Heartbeat A heartbeat is one cardiac cycle of the heart. Heartbeat, heart beat, heartbeats, and heart beats may refer to: Computing *Heartbeat (computing), a periodic signal to indicate normal operation or to synchronize parts of a system *Heartbeat, clus ...

''. The film was remade in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

as ''

'' in 1946 starring

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

and

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...

. Affron & Affron p.318

Synopsis

It tells the story of a young woman escaping from reform school who tries to steal a foreign ambassador's watch but ends up falling in love with him.

Cast

as Arlette * Claude Dauphin as Pierre de Rougemont *

as Le comte d'Argay - l'ambassadeur *

Junie Astor Rolande Jeanne Risterucci (1911–1967), better known as Junie Astor, was a French actress. Selected filmography * ''Stradivarius'' (1935) * ''The Lower Depths'' (1936) * ''Women's Club'' (1936) * ''Excursion Train'' (1936) * ''27 Rue de la Paix ...

as La comtesse Florence d'Argay - l'ambassadrice *

Charles Dechamps Charles Dechamps (13 September 1882 – 25 September 1959) was a French stage and film actor. He married the comedian Fernande Albany on 19 November 1925. He died in 1959, and was buried at cimetière du Père-Lachaise. Filmography * 1909: ' ...

as Le baron Dvorak * Sylvain Itkine as Le premier voleur *

Pierre Feuillère Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

as Le second voleur *

Jean Hébey Jean Hébey (1916–1992) was a French Algerian film actor.Capua p.163 Selected filmography * ''Le bébé de l'escadron'' (1935) * ''Bichon'' (1936) - Jacques Fontanges * ''Les grands'' (1936) * ''Counsel for Romance'' (1936) - Fil-de-fer / Slim ...

as Ponthus *

Julien Carette Julien Henri Carette (23 December 1897 – 20 July 1966) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1931 and 1964. Selected filmography * '' American Love'' (1931) * ''George and Georgette'' (1934) * ''My Heart Is ...

as Yves Calubert *

Jean Tissier Jean Tissier (1896–1973) was a French stage, film and television actor.Goble p.440 A prolific actor, he had more than two hundred fifty appearances on screen during his career. He was married to the actress Georgette Tissier. Selected filmograp ...

as Roland Médeville *

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 * ''L ...

as Monsieur Aristide *

Roland Armontel Roland Armontel (21 December 1901 – 15 March 1980) was a French actor. Born Auguste Louis Magnin in Vimoutiers, Orne, France, he died in Paris. Selected filmography * ''Fun in the Barracks'' (1932) * ''Let's Touch Wood'' (1933) * ''Les Mis ...

as Firmin *

Marguerite de Morlaye Marguerite de Morlaye (29 January 1870, Saint-Mandé –18 September 1957, Paris) was a French actress. Selected filmography * ''Martyr'' (1927) * '' A Foolish Maiden'' (1929) * '' The Wonderful Day'' (1932) * '' La dame de chez Maxim's'' (1933) ...

as La dame au bal *

Dora Doll Dora Doll (born Dorothea Hermina Feinberg; 19 May 1922 – 15 November 2015) was a French actress. Career One of her first screen appearances was as Juliette in Henri-Georges Clouzot's ''Manon'' (1949). She appeared as Lola in Jacques Becker's ...

as La secrétaire *

Jean Joffre Jean Joffre (1872–1944) often styled simply as Joffre was a French film actor, film and stage actor. Crisp p.192 A character actor he played a variety of supporting roles in theatre and the cinema during his career. His final screen appearance w ...

as Le maire *

Marcelle Monthil Marcelle Monthil (8 June 1892 – 8 November 1950) was a French film actress. Born Marcelle Madeleine Montalenti in the Principality of Monaco, she died in Paris. Selected filmography * ''Love Songs'' (1930) * '' When Love Is Over'' (1931) * ...

as Madame Aristide *

Geneviève Morel Geneviève Morel (1916–1989) was a French stage and film actress.Bessy & Chirat p.233 Selected filmography * '' Beating Heart'' (1940) * ''Mademoiselle Swing'' (1942) * ''Goodbye Leonard'' (1943) * '' Secrets of a Ballerina'' (1943) * '' Cecil ...

as Marinette - une élève *

André Nicolle André Nicolle (1 June 1885 – 25 February 1945) was a French film actor.Phillips p.212 Selected filmography * ''The Chocolate Girl'' (1927) * ''Karina the Dancer'' (1928) * ''The Vein'' (1928) * ''Temptation'' (1929) * '' The Unknown Dancer'' ( ...

as L'inspecteur *

Robert Ozanne Robert Ozanne (February 13, 1898 – September 14, 1941) was a French film actor.Youngkin p.466 Selected filmography * ''The Three Musketeers'' (1932) * ''The Oil Sharks'' (1933) * '' Miquette'' (1934) * '' The House on the Dune'' (1934) * ''The ...

as L'adjoint au maire *

Sylvain Sylvain is the French form of Silvanus. It may refer to: People *Sylvain Archambault, Canadian director *Sylvain Bied (1965–2011), French footballer and manager *Sylvain Cappell (born 1946), American mathematician *Sylvain Chavanel (born 1979) ...

as Le témoin de Roland

References

Bibliography

* Affron, Charles & Mirella Jona Affron. ''Best Years: Going to the Movies, 1945-1946''. Rutgers University Press, 2009.

External links

* *
''Battement de coeur''
at filmsdefrance.com

at cinema-francais.fr 1940 films French black-and-white films 1940s French-language films French comedy-drama films 1940 comedy-drama films 1940s French films Films set in Paris Films directed by Henri Decoin Films shot at Billancourt Studios {{1940s-France-film-stub