''Flesh and the Woman'' (french: Le Grand Jeu) is a 1954 French-Italian drama film directed by

Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German film director who also worked in the United States. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for a series of films noirs he made in the 1940s, such as '' The Killers'' (19 ...

. It was entered into the

1954 Cannes Film Festival The 7th Cannes Film Festival was held from 25 March to 9 April 1954. With Jean Cocteau as President of the Jury, the Grand Prix went to the '' Gate of Hell'' by Teinosuke Kinugasa. The festival opened with '' Le Grand Jeu'' by Robert Siodmak. Th ...

. It was released in the USA under the title ''Flesh and the Woman'', and in the UK as ''The Card of Fate''. It is a remake of the 1934 film '' Le Grand Jeu''.

Plot

After an affair with a young woman named Sylvia the Frenchman Pierre Martel leaves Paris and goes to Algeria because he wants to start over. His wife refuses to follow him. Dismayed about all this he decides to join the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, cavalry, engineers, airborne troops. It was created in 1831 to allow foreign nationals into the French Army ...

. As a soldier he runs into a look-alike of Sylvia.

Cast

Gina Lollobrigida Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida (born 4 July 1927) is an Italian actress, photojournalist, and politician. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s, a period in which she was an international sex symbol. As ...

as Sylvia Sorrego / Helena Ricci *

Jean-Claude Pascal Jean-Claude Villeminot (24 October 1927 – 5 May 1992), better known as Jean-Claude Pascal (), was a French comedian, actor, singer and writer. Early life He was born in Paris into a family of wealthy textile manufacturers. His mother, ...

as Pierre Martel *

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 ''Hôtel du N ...

as Blanche *

Raymond Pellegrin Raymond Pellegrin (1 January 1925 – 14 October 2007) was a French actor. Born in Nice, Pellegrin made his screen debut in the 1945 French feature ''Naïs''. He was also famous in France for dubbing Jean Marais for the voice of Fantômas i ...

as Mario * Peter van Eyck as Fred *

Jean Témerson Jean Témerson (1898–1956) was a French actor. Selected filmography * '' The Lover of Madame Vidal'' (1936) - Guillaume - le domestique * '' With a Smile'' (1936) - Cam (uncredited) * '' Pépé le Moko'' (1937) - Gravère * ''Blanchette'' (1 ...

as Xavier Noblet *

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 Brigadier *

Paul Amiot Paul Amiot (29 March 1886 – 26 January 1979) was a French film actor. His career spanned some 63 years and he appeared in nearly 100 films between 1910 and 1973. In 1920 he appeared in Robert Péguy's ''Être aimé pour soi-même''. He was n ...

as the capitain *

Odette Barencey Odette Barencey (20 August 1893 – 4 March 1981) was a French film actress. She appeared in more than 50 films between 1927 and 1958. She was married to the actor Marcel Barencey. Selected filmography * '' My Childish Father'' (1930) * '' ...

as Gertrude *

Charles Bayard Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

Gérard Buhr Gérard Buhr (8 May 19288 January 1988) was a French film and television actor. Selected filmography * ' (1950) * ''Quai de Grenelle'' (1950) - Petit rôle (uncredited) * '' Beware of Blondes'' (1950) - Un journaliste (uncredited) * '' Monte Ca ...

as a legionnaire *

Jo Dest Jo, jo, JO, or J.O. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Jo'' (film), a 1972 French comedy * ''Jo'' (TV series), a French TV series *"Jo", a song by Goldfrapp from ''Tales of Us'' *"Jo", a song by Mr. Oizo from ''Lambs Anger'' * Jo a fictio ...

as the bistro keeper * Leila Farida as Aïcha *

Gabrielle Fontan Gabrielle Fontan (16 April 1873 – 8 September 1959) was a French film actress. She appeared in more than 120 films between 1927 and 1959. Selected filmography * '' Misdeal'' (1928) * '' The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard'' (1929) * '' The La ...

as the sister *

Lila Kedrova Yelizaveta Nikolaevna Kedrova (Russian: Елизавета Николаевна Кедрова; 9 October 1909 – 16 February 2000), known as Lila Kedrova, was a Russian-born French actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actre ...

as Rose *

Odette Laure Odette Laure (28 February 1917 – 10 June 2004) was a French actress and cabaret singer. She appeared in more than 50 films and television shows between 1950 and 2001. She was nominated for the César Award for Best Supporting Actress The ...

as Mario's girl-friend *

Darling Légitimus Mathilda Marie Berthilde Paruta (21 November 1907 – 7 December 1999), better known as Darling Légitimus, was a French actress. In 1983, she received the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her performance in the film ''Sugar Cane Alley''. Biogra ...

Margo Lion Margo Allison Lion (October 13, 1944 – January 24, 2020) was a producer for plays and musicals both on Broadway and off-Broadway, known for her role in producing the stage and screen hit '' Hairspray''. Combined, the works Lion produced won 20 ...

as the cleaner *

Alix Mahieux ''Alix'', or ''The Adventures of Alix'', is a Franco-Belgian comics series drawn in the ligne claire style by Jacques Martin. The stories revolve around a young Gallo-Roman man named Alix in the late Roman Republic. Although the series is ...

as Mado * Umberto Melnati *

Bernard Musson Bernard Musson (1925–2010) was a French actor. Selected filmography * '' It Happened in Paris'' (1952) * '' The Slave'' (1953) * '' On Trial'' (1954) * '' Flesh and the Woman'' (1954) * ''Bonjour sourire'' (1956) * '' Les Truands'' (1956) * ...

as the painter *

Marcel Rouzé Marcel may refer to: People * Marcel (given name), people with the given name Marcel * Marcel (footballer, born August 1981), Marcel Silva Andrade, Brazilian midfielder * Marcel (footballer, born November 1981), Marcel Augusto Ortolan, Brazilian ...

as the receptionist *

Roger Vincent Roger Vincent (1878–1959) was a French actor who acted in over 100 movies over five decades. Selected filmography * '' The Stairs Without End '' (1943) * '' The White Waltz'' (1943) * '' Her Final Role'' (1946) * ''The Murderer is Not Guilty ...

as the hotel keeper *

Georges Vitray Georges Vitray (1888–1960) was a French film actor.Crisp p.155 Biography Georges Victor Leporcher was born in Paris, France to Constant Leporcher and Victorine Victoire Bricier. Georges took the name Vitray as a stage name. Georges' mother ...

References

External links

* 1954 films 1954 drama films French drama films 1950s French-language films French black-and-white films Films directed by Robert Siodmak Films set in Algeria Films set in deserts Films set in the French colonial empire Films about the French Foreign Legion Remakes of French films Italian drama films Italian black-and-white films 1950s French films 1950s Italian films {{1950s-drama-film-stub