''Facing Destiny'' (French: ''Face au destin'') is a 1940 French

spy Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Henri Fescourt Henri Fescourt (23 November 1880 – 9 August 1966) was a French film director. He directed some 40 films in his career. Filmography * 1912 : '' Un vol a été commis'' * 1912 : '' Le Petit restaurant de l'impasse Canin'' * 1912 : '' Paris-Sa ...

and starring

Jules Berry Jules Berry (born Marie Louis Jules Paufichet; 9 February 1883 – 23 April 1951) was a French actor. Biography Early life Berry and his two brothers were born to parents who sold hardware and settled in Poitou. The family moved to Paris in 188 ...

George Rigaud Pedro Jorge Rigato Delissetche,George Rigaud

and

Josseline Gaël Josseline Gaël (born Jeannine Augustine Jeanne Blanleuil; 4 February 1917 – 10 August 1995) was a French actress who specialised in comedy roles. She is best remembered for her portrayal of Cosette in the 1934 film adaptation of Les Misérable ...

. It is based on the 1938 novel of the same title by Charles Robert-Dumas.Goble p.139 The film's 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 ...

Claude Bouxin Claude Bouxin (17 February 1907 – 23 February 1997) was a French art director.Soister p.280 He designed the film sets for over ninety productions. Selected filmography * '' Roger la Honte'' (1933) * '' The Lady of Lebanon'' (1934) * ''Fanatisme ...

. It was produced and distributed during the

Phoney War The Phoney War (french: Drôle de guerre; german: Sitzkrieg) was an eight-month period at the start of World War II, during which there was only one limited military land operation on the Western Front, when French troops invaded Germ ...

period.

Synopsis

Jean Lambert takes some money from a

cash register A cash register, sometimes called a till or automated money handling system, is a mechanical or electronic device for registering and calculating transactions at a point of sale. It is usually attached to a drawer for storing cash and other v ...

to pay off the debts that his

fiancée An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...

Madeleine has incurred at the

fashion house Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and plac ...

where she works. He is caught and sent to

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

for two years. Feeling herself abandoned by him, Madeleine enters into a loveless marriage with a

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

who is secretly a German

. On his release, Jean enlists in the Foreign Legion and encounters Madeleine again in

Marrakesh Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...

French Morocco The French protectorate in Morocco (french: Protectorat français au Maroc; ar, الحماية الفرنسية في المغرب), also known as French Morocco, was the period of French colonial rule in Morocco between 1912 to 1956. The prote ...

Cast

as Claude Davenay *

George Rigaud Pedro Jorge Rigato Delissetche,George Rigaud

as Jean Lambert *

as L'amie de Claude *

Gaby Sylvia Gaby Sylvia (March 24, 1920 – July 26, 1980) was an Italian actress who appeared in many French films and television series.Goble p.37 Partial filmography * ''Le ruisseau'' (1938) - Denise * ''Behind the Façade'' (1939) - Madeleine Martin * ...

as Madeleine Clairvoix *

Jean-Max Jean-Max (1895–1970) was a French film actor.Goble p.106 Selected filmography * ''The Prosecutor Hallers'' (1930) * ''Le cap perdu'' (1931) * '' The Unknown Singer'' (1931) * ''The Darling of Paris'' (1931) * '' Suzanne'' (1932) * '' Once Upon ...

as Franz Hermann *

Jean Aquistapace Jean Aquistapace (1882–1952) was a French actor and opera singer.Blakeway p.197 He appeared in around thirty films during the 1930s and 1940s. Selected filmography * '' Maurin of the Moors'' (1932) * '' The Wonderful Day'' (1932) * '' Madame A ...

as Sgt. Sobiesky *

Marguerite Pierry Marguerite Pierry (26 December 1887, Paris – 20 January 1963, Paris) was a French actress. Selected filmography * ''On purge bébé'' (1931) * '' The Two Boys'' (1936) * ''The Citadel of Silence'' (1937) * '' Southern Mail'' (1937) * ''Confl ...

as Madame Clairvoix * Ginette Choisy as La fille *

Jacques Grétillat Jacques Marie Gaëtan Grétillat (26 August 1885 – 19 December 1950) was a French actor and film director. Grétillat was born in Vitry-sur-Seine (Val-de-Marne), and died in Paris. Partial filmography * ''Hamlet'' (1908, Short) - Hamlet * ...

as Le chargé d'affaire *

Robert Pizani Robert Pizani (26 April 1896 – 17 June 1965) was a French stage and film actor whose 45-year career encompassed leading roles in numerous plays, revues and operettas as well as dozens of films. In operetta Pizani's roles in operetta and musical ...

as Le couturier * Mittyl Francia as La soeur de Claude *

Paul Escoffier Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

as Le capitaine *

Alexandre Mihalesco Alexandre Mihalesco (; born Alexandru Mihăilescu, ; 19 October 1883 – 28 December 1974) was a Romanian film actor who largely appeared in French productions.Goble p.2 Selected filmography * ''The Independence of Romania'' (1912) * ''On the W ...

as Un officier * Renée Morin as L'amie de Madeleine *

Rolla Norman Edouard Charles "Rolla" Norman (1889–1971) was a French stage and film actor. Selected filmography * ''The Assassination of the Duke of Guise'' (1908) * '' The Advocate'' (1925) * ''The Last Fort'' (1928) * '' The Vein'' (1928) * '' The Great ...

as L'avocat *

André Numès Fils André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew, and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries. It is a variation o ...

as Le copain *

Yvonne Yma Yvonne Yma (1887–1959) was a French stage and film actress.Phillips p.212 Selected filmography * '' Take Care of Amelie'' (1932) * '' A Father Without Knowing It'' (1932) * ''Student's Hotel'' (1932) * ''The Barber of Seville'' (1933) * ''The Br ...

as La concierge *

Georges Paulais Georges Paulais (16 September 1884 – 12 December 1967) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 140 films between 1910 and 1956. He was born in Guimps, Charente, France and died in Chabanais, Charente, France. Selected filmograph ...

as Le commissaire du gouvernement *

François Rozet François Rozet, (25 March 1899 – 8 April 1994) was a French-born Canadian actor. Rozet was born March 25, 1899 in Villars-les-Dombes, Ain, Rhône-Alpes, France and died in Montréal, Québec, Canada. In 1971, he was made an Officer of ...

as Le lieutenant * Henri Échourin as L'inspecteur *

Albert Broquin Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albert ...

as Un légionnaire * Reyna Capello as La secrétaire

References

Bibliography

* Bessy, Maurice & Chirat, Raymond. ''Histoire du cinéma français: encyclopédie des films, 1940–1950''. Pygmalion, 1986. * Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999. * Rège, Philippe. ''Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Volume 1''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1940 films 1940 drama films French drama films 1940s French-language films Films directed by Henri Fescourt French black-and-white films 1940s French films Films based on French novels 1940s spy films French spy films Films set in Morocco Films scored by Jean Lenoir {{1940s-France-film-stub