''Bolero'' (French: ''Boléro'') is a 1942 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 Jean Boyer and starring

Arletty Léonie Marie Julie Bathiat (15 May 1898 – 23 July 1992), known professionally as Arletty, was a French actress, singer, and fashion model. As an actress she is particularly known for classics directed by Marcel Carné, including '' Hotel du N ...

, André Luguet and Jacques Dumesnil.Hayward p.4 It takes its name from the

Bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

, a

Latin American Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-eth ...

dance and the composer Maurice Ravel's piece of music inspired by the style of it. The film's sets were designed by the art director Lucien Aguettand. It was made by Pathé at the company's

Francoeur Studios The Francoeur Studios are film production studios in Paris. In 1926 Bernard Natan's Rapid Films set up production at the location, before in 1929 it was merged with the Pathé conglomerate under Natan's overall control. In the postwar era it wa ...

. Future star

Simone Signoret Simone Signoret (; born Simone Henriette Charlotte Kaminker; 25 March 1921 – 30 September 1985) was a French actress. She received various accolades, including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, a César Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a ...

had a small, uncredited role in the film.

Cast

as Catherine * André Luguet as Rémi * Jacques Dumesnil as Georges *

Meg Lemonnier Marguerite Gabrielle Lemonnier (née Clark; 15 May 1905 – 12 June 1988) was a British-born French singer and film actress. Lemonnier played the female lead in the comedy ''George and Georgette'' (1933).Prawer p.193 Selected filmography * '' M ...

as Miquette * Christian Gérard as Paul Bardot * André Bervil as Laurent *

Louis Salou Louis Vincent Goulven Salou (23 April 1902 – 12 October 1948) was a French stage and film actor. Louis was born in Oissel and died in Fontenay-aux-Roses. Selected filmography * ''First Ball'' (1941) * '' The Benefactor'' (1942) * ''Bolero' ...

as Professeur Archaimbaud *

Paul Ollivier François Hilarion Paul Olivari, stage name Paul Ollivier (10 February 1876 - 10 June 1948) was a French film actor. Selected filmography * ''The Phantom of the Moulin Rouge'' (1925) * ''The Queen of Moulin Rouge'' (1926) * ''The Imaginary Voyag ...

as Le deuxième témoin *

Jacques Roussel Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...

as Horace * Guita Karen as La bonne *

Denise Grey Denise Grey (born Édouardine Verthuy; 17 September 1896 – 13 January 1996) was an Italian-born actress who became a naturalized French citizen. Biography Édouardine Grey was born in Châtillon in the Aosta Valley of north-west Italy, clos ...

as Anne-Marie * Lucienne Legrand * Nathalie Alexeeff * Janine Berry *

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 Dame à la présentation de la collection *

Robert Le Fort Robert the Strong (french: Robert le Fort; c. 830 – 866) was the father of two kings of West Francia: Odo (or Eudes) and Robert I of France. His family is named after him and called the Robertians. In 853, he was named '' missus dominicus'' ...

as Un comédien de théâtre *

Frédéric Mariotti Frédéric Mariotti (1 April 1883 – 22 February 1971) was a French stage and film actor whose career spanned more than four decades through the early silent film era into the early 1950s. Biography Frédéric Mariotti was born in Marseille and ...

as Le comédien *

as Une employée de la maison de couture (uncredited)

References

Bibliography

* Hayward, Susan. ''Simone Signoret: The Star as Cultural Sign''. A&C Black, 2004.

External links

* 1942 films French comedy films 1942 comedy films 1940s French-language films Films directed by Jean Boyer Pathé films French black-and-white films Films shot at Francoeur Studios 1940s French films {{1940s-France-film-stub