''Heartbeat'' (French: ''Le schpountz'') is a 1938 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

Marcel Pagnol Marcel Paul Pagnol (; 28 February 1895 – 18 April 1974) was a French novelist, playwright, and filmmaker. Regarded as an auteur, in 1946, he became the first filmmaker elected to the Académie française. Although his work is less fashionable ...

and starring

Fernandel Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin (8 May 1903 – 26 February 1971), better known as Fernandel, was a French actor and singer. Born near Marseille, France, to Désirée Bedouin and Denis Contandin, originating in Perosa Argentina, an Occitan to ...

Orane Demazis Orane Demazis (4 September 1894 – 25 December 1991) was a French actress. Biography Born Henriette Marie Louise Burgart in Oran, French Algeria, in a family of Alsatian origin, Demazis entered the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur d'A ...

and

Fernand Charpin Fernand Charpin (30 May 1887 – 6 November 1944) was a French actor. He is known for his role as Honoré Panisse in Marcel Pagnol's Marseille trilogy, beginning with '' Marius'' in 1931. Selected filmography * '' Marius'' (1931) * '' Fanny'' ( ...

.Lanzoni p.8 It was remade in 1999 as ''

Le schpountz Le schpountz is a 1999 French film directed by Gérard Oury (a remake of the 1938 film '' Heartbeat'' by Marcel Pagnol). Irénée does not want to work in his uncle's grocery shop and spends his time dreaming of becoming an actor. Irénée's chance ...

'', directed by

Gérard Oury Gérard Oury (born Max-Gérard Houry Tannenbaum; 29 April 1919 – 20 July 2006) was a French film director, actor and writer. Life and career Max-Gérard Houry-Tannenbaum was the only son of Serge Tannenbaum, a violinist of Russian-Jewish orig ...

. It tells the story of an unhappy young grocer's assistant who dreams of becoming a grand dramatic actor, but when he gatecrashes a film studio they realise he is a natural comic.

Plot

Irénée lives and works in the little grocery shop of his childless uncle, who brought him up, and dreams of becoming a famous and rich film actor with an exotic car. One day a film crew stops in the village and he attempts to interest them in his undiscovered talents. They play along with his obsession, calling him the village idiot or ''schpountz'', and even give him a fake contract. His uncle ridicules his naïvety and the sympathetic Françoise, a member of the team, warns him not to take it seriously. But Irénée withdraws his savings and, taking a train to Paris, arrives at the studio, from which he is repeatedly thrown out. Taking pity on him, Françoise gets him a job as a props assistant. However the jokers who first ensnared him then use him in another trick to ruin the take of a pompous actor, Galubert, under an even more pompous director. Sending him on to the set results in chaos, but some realise that he is actually funny rather than pitiable and he is given a part. The film is a success, with the public preferring the comedy of Irénée to the grandeur of Galubert. The head of the studio gives him a real contract, which he will not sign until he also gets a

Peugeot 601 The Peugeot 601 was a range-topping car produced between 1934 and 1935 by Peugeot. It had its formal launch on 5 May 1934 and marked a return by the manufacturer to six-cylinder engines. Together with the Peugeot 401, the 601 was the first car t ...

Éclipse convertible, and on the strength of this he proposes to Françoise. Once married, the two drive down to his uncle's village, where he enters the shop alone in the clothes in which he left, telling his uncle that his dream of fame has proved false and asking to come home again. The uncle is delighted to be proved right, and Irénée then brings in his wife. The uncle is delighted to have someone else to work in the shop, until Irénée tells him to look at the car outside and so reveals the truth.

Cast

as Irénée Fabre, 'le Schpountz' *

as Françoise *

as L'oncle Baptiste Fabre (as Charpin) *

Léon Belières Léon Belières (1880–1952) was a French film actor.Goble p.202 Selected filmography * '' Figaro'' (1929) * '' Levy and Company'' (1930) * '' A Hole in the Wall'' (1930) * '' The Road Is Fine'' (1930) * ''Atlantis'' (1930) * ''The Mystery of t ...

as Meyerboom *

Enrico Glori Enrico is both an Italian masculine given name and a surname, Enrico means homeowner, or king, derived from ''Heinrich'' of Germanic origin. It is also a given name in Ladino. Equivalents in other languages are Henry (English), Henri ( French), ...

as Bodigar Glazunoff *

Robert Vattier Robert Vattier (2 October 1906 – 9 December 1982) was a French actor. He was the father of the comedic actress Bérangère Vattier. Selected filmography * '' Marius'' (1931) - Albert Brun * '' Fanny'' (1932) - Albert Brun * ''Vers l'abîme ...

as Astruc *

Marcel Maupi Marcel Maupi, stage name of Marcel Louis Alexandre Barberin or Maupi, (6 November 1881, Marseille – 4 January 1949, Antibes) was a French actor. Selected filmography * ''Dance Hall'' (1931) * '' Marius'' (1931) * '' Fanny'' (1932) * '' The Iron ...

as Le barman * Louisard as Charlet *

Henri Poupon Henri Poupon (1884–1953) was a French stage and film actor.Paietta p.128 He worked a number of times with the write-director Marcel Pagnol. Selected filmography * ''The Fortune'' (1931) * ''To the Polls, Citizens'' (1932) * ''Angèle'' (1934) * ...

as Galubert *

Robert Bassac The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

as Dromart *

Charles Blavette Charles Blavette (24 June 1902 – 21 November 1967) was a French film actor. He appeared in 50 films between 1933 and 1966. Selected filmography * '' Jofroi'' (1934) - Antoine * ''Angèle'' (1934) - Tonin * ''Toni'' (1935) - Antonio Canov ...

as Martelette *

Jean Castan 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 * Jean ...

as Casimir Fabre *

André Pollack 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 L'avoué * Charblay as Adolphe, le portier du studio * Tyrand as Le pape *

Jacques B. Brunius __NOTOC__ Jacques B. Brunius (born Jacques Henri Cottance, 16 September 1906 – 24 April 1967) was a French actor, director and writer, who was born in Paris and died in Exeter, UK. He was cremated in Sidmouth, with a tribute by Mesens. Assistan ...

as L'accessoiriste *

Henri Champetier Henri is an Estonian, Finnish, French, German and Luxembourgish form of the masculine given name Henry. People with this given name ; French noblemen :'' See the 'List of rulers named Henry' for Kings of France named Henri.'' * Henri I de Montm ...

as Nick * Roger Forster as Lucien *

Beretta Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta (; "Pietro Beretta Weapon Factory") is a privately held Italian firearms manufacturing company operating in several countries. Its firearms are used worldwide for a variety of civilian, law enforcement, and militar ...

as Le chef de plateau *

Jean Weber Jean Weber (25 January 1906 – 13 October 1995) was a French film actor.Goble p. 398 Selected filmography * ''The Queen's Necklace'' (1929) * '' Figaro'' (1929) * '' The Eaglet'' (1931) * ''The Man at Midnight'' (1931) * ''Take Care of Amelie' ...

as Le cantinier *

Alida Rouffe Alida Rouffe (1874–1949) was a French actress. Joséphine Marie Rouffe was born on 20 March 1874 in Bordeaux. Her father was mime artist Louis Rouffe (1849-1885). She spent most of her career on stage in the south of France, and like her ...

as Grocery Customer * Alice Robert as Rita Camelia * Odette Roger as La tante Clarisse Fabre *

Pierre Brasseur Pierre Brasseur (22 December 1905 – 16 August 1972), born Pierre-Albert Espinasse, was a French actor. Biography The son of actors Georges Espinasse and Germaine Brasseur, the latter a cousin of Albert Brasseur; his grandfather, Jules Br ...

as Cousine *

Robert Darène Robert Darène (10 January 1914 – 15 January 2016) was a French actor, film director and screenwriter. He appeared in twelve films between 1934 and 1959, and directed nine films between 1951 and 1963. Selected filmography * ''Le Chevalier ...

as Un aide *

Louis Ducreux Louis Ducreux (22 September 1911 – 19 December 1992) was a French actor, screenwriter and composer. He was born Louis Raymond Bordat in Marseille, France. He made his film debut in 1938 and worked until his death. He received a Best Actor nom ...

* Geo Forster as Cousine II *

André Roussin André Roussin, (22 January 1911 – 3 November 1987), was a French playwright. Born in Marseille, he was elected to the Académie française on 12 April 1973. Bibliography *1933 ''Patiences et impatiences'' *1944 ''Am Stram Gram'' *1945 ''U ...

as Roussin

References

Bibliography

* Rémi Fournier Lanzoni. ''French Comedy on Screen: A Cinematic History''. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.

External links

* {{Marcel Pagnol 1938 films French comedy films 1938 comedy films 1930s French-language films Films directed by Marcel Pagnol Films about filmmaking Films set in Paris French black-and-white films Films scored by Casimir Oberfeld 1930s French films