''Bed and Board'' (french: Domicile conjugal) is a 1970 French comedy-drama film directed by François Truffaut, and starring

Jean-Pierre Léaud Jean-Pierre Léaud, ComM (; born 28 May 1944) is a French actor, known for playing Antoine Doinel in François Truffaut's series of films about that character, beginning with ''The 400 Blows'' (1959). He also worked several times with Jean-Luc ...

and

Claude Jade Claude Marcelle Jorré, better known as Claude Jade (; 8 October 1948 – 1 December 2006), was a French actress. She starred as Christine in François Truffaut's three films '' Stolen Kisses'' (1968), '' Bed and Board'' (1970) and '' Love on th ...

. It is the fourth in Truffaut's series of five films about

Antoine Doinel Antoine Doinel () is a fictional character created by François Truffaut and portrayed by actor Jean-Pierre Léaud in five films directed by Truffaut. Doinel is to a great extent an alter ego for Truffaut; they share many of the same childhood ex ...

, and directly follows ''

Stolen Kisses ''Stolen Kisses'' (french: Baisers volés) is a 1968 French romantic comedy-drama film directed by François Truffaut, starring Jean-Pierre Léaud, Delphine Seyrig and Claude Jade. It continues the story of the character Antoine Doinel, whom Tr ...

'', depicting the married life of Antoine (Léaud) and Christine (Jade). '' Love on the Run'' finished the story in 1979.

Plot

Antoine and Christine have got married and are living in a pleasant apartment that her parents have found for them. In it she gives violin lessons, while he works in the courtyard dyeing carnations for flower shops. When his experiments with colouring agents go horribly wrong, he has to find other work. An American company hires him to demonstrate model boats to potential customers in a mock-up harbour. Christine has a baby boy, which she calls Ghislain but he registers as Alphonse. At work he meets a Japanese girl, who invites him for a meal in her apartment. An affair starts, which Christine becomes aware of when she finds little hidden love letters. Antoine is banished from the bedroom and eventually moves out to a hotel, while Christine makes a life for herself and the baby. Antoine, bored and restless in a pointless existence, keeps telephoning her and at the end she is probably ready to take him back.

Cast

as Christine Doinel *

Daniel Ceccaldi Daniel Ceccaldi (25 July 1927 – 27 March 2003) was a French actor. He was born in Meaux, Seine-et-Marne, France. The mild-mannered Daniel Ceccaldi is famous as Claude Jade's father ''Lucien Darbon'' in François Truffaut's movies ''Stolen Kis ...

as Lucien Darbon *

Claire Duhamel Claire Duhamel (September 6, 1925 – February 7, 2014) was a French film and stage actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre ...

as Madame Darbon * Hiroko Berghauer as Kyoko * Daniel Boulanger as Tenor * Silvana Blasi as Tenor's wife * Pierre Fabri as the office Romeo *

Barbara Laage Barbara Laage (30 July 1920 – 21 May 1988) was a French film actress who flourished in the 1950s. After fleeing Paris with her family during the German occupation in World War II, Laage returned to the city after the war and commenced her acti ...

as Monique, secretary *

Billy Kearns Billy Kearns (17 February 1923 – 28 November 1992) was an American actor. Biography During World War II, Kearns fought in the Army's newly founded 10th Mountain Division created for fighting in mountainous areas. His acting career took place ...

as M. Max * Claude Véga as the Strangler *

Jacques Jouanneau Jacques Jouanneau (3 October 1926 – 19 July 2011) was a French actor. He was born in Angers, France. Biography Filmography *1953: ''Capitaine Pantoufle'' - Le barman du Goéland (uncredited) *1954: ''Les Intrigantes'' - Le Reporter (un ...

as Césarin * Danièle Girard as Ginette, a waitress * Jacques Robiolles as Sponger * Yvon Lec as the Traffic Warden * Marie Irakane as Mrs Martin, a concierge * Ernest Menzer as the little man * Jacques Rispal as Old Solitary * Philippe Léotard as a Drunkard *

Pierre Maguelon Pierre Maguelon (3 September 1933 – 10 July 2010) was a French actor. Selected filmography * ''Tire-au-flanc 62'' (1960) * '' The President'' (1961) - Un parlementaire (uncredited) * ''Cartouche'' (1962) - Un complice de Cartouche (uncredited ...

as Cérasin's friend * Guy Pierrault as an SOS employee * Marcel Mercier as a person in the courtyard * Joseph Merieau as a person in the courtyard * Christian de Tiliere as a Senator * Nobuko Mati as Kyoko's friend * Iska Khan as Kyoko's father * Marie Dedieu as Marie, a prostitute * Jacques Cottin as

Monsieur Hulot Monsieur Hulot is a character created and played by French comic Jacques Tati for a series of films in the 1950s and '60s, namely '' Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot'' (1953), '' Mon Oncle'' (1958), ''Playtime'' (1967) and ''Trafic'' (1971). The c ...

(uncredited)

Critical reception

John Simon wrote that ''Bed and Board'' "gives no offense, and no enlightenment".

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * *
''Bed and Board''
an essay by

Noah Baumbach Noah Baumbach () (born September 3, 1969) is an American film director and screenwriter. He is known for making witty and intellectual comedies set in New York City and has often been compared to writer-directors such as Woody Allen and Whit St ...

at the Criterion Collection {{DEFAULTSORT:Bed And Board 1970 films 1970s romantic comedy-drama films French romantic comedy-drama films Films directed by François Truffaut Antoine Doinel Films with screenplays by François Truffaut 1970s French-language films 1970s French films