''That Tender Age'' (French: ''L'Âge ingrat''), is a 1964 French

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Gilles Grangier Gilles Grangier (5 May 1911 – 27 April 1996) was a French film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 50 films and several TV series between 1943 and 1985. His film ''Archimède le clochard'' was entered into the 9th Berlin Inter ...

that unites two major stars in

Jean Gabin Jean Gabin Alexis Moncorgé (born Jean-Alexis Moncorgé), known as Jean Gabin (; 17 May 190415 November 1976), was a French actor and singer. Considered a key figure in French cinema, he starred in several classic films, including '' Pépé le ...

and

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

.Oscherwitz & Higgins p.163 It recounts how two families are drawn together by an engagement between two of their children, are then torn apart when the young couple fall out, and are finally reconciled. It was shot at the

Saint-Maurice Studios Saint-Maurice is the name or part of the name of places. It refers to the legendary Saint Maurice. Places Canada * Saint-Maurice (Lower Canada electoral district), a constituency 1792–1838 * Saint Maurice (Province of Canada electoral distri ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and on location around the city and at

Toulon Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department. The Commune of Toulon h ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Jacques Colombier.

Plot

Before parting for the summer vacation, the students Antoine Lartigue and Marie Malhouin decide to get engaged. Marie's father Émile is guarded, but Antoine's father Adolphe is ecstatic and insists that all the Malhouin family must come and stay with his family in his villa at St Tropez. When they arrive, Émile as a phlegmatic Norman finds the endless bonhomie and bragging of the Provençal Adolphe increasingly annoying. His son Antoine also has a fiery Mediterranean temperament, which erupts in a disco when Marie dances with an old flame and Antoine thumps him. Appalled, Marie breaks off the engagement. Insulted at his son being rejected, Adolphe says more to Émile than he should, upon which Émile packs family and baggage into the car and drives straight back to Paris. One evening Marie does not come home and to try and find her Émile rings everybody he can think of. The phone being constantly busy, Adolphe is unable to contact him. He has come to Paris to try and find Antoine, who has disappeared. When in apprehension he knocks on Émile's door, he gets a frosty reception but at that point Marie rings home to say she is all right and with Antoine.

Cast

as Émile Malhouin *

as Adolphe Lartigue *

Marie Dubois Marie Dubois (born Claudine Lucie Pauline Huzé; 12 January 1937 – 15 October 2014) was a French actress, born in Paris. Career She studied at l'École de la rue Blanche (ENSATT) and made her film debut in 1959, first gaining notice the next ...

as Marie Malhouin *

Franck Fernandel Franck Fernandel (born Franck Gérard Ignace Contandin; 10 December 1935 – 8 June 2011) was a French actor, singer and songwriter, and writer. Biography Franck was the only son of three children born to the famous French actor Fernandel. He ...

as Antoine Lartigue *

Paulette Dubost Paulette Dubost (8 October 1910 – 21 September 2011) was a French actress who began her career at the age of 7 at the Paris Opera. She appeared in over 250 films and worked with directors such as Marcel Carné, Jean Renoir, Max Ophüls ('' L ...

as Françoise Malhouin * Claude Mann as Charles-Édouard * Madeleine Sylvain as Éliane Lartigue * Christine Simon as Florence Malhouin *

Henri Rellys Henri Marius Roger Bourrelly (12 December 190520 July 1991), known by his stage name of Rellys, was a French actor.- Selected filmography * '' Three Sailors'' (1934) * '' Merlusse'' (1935) * '' Happy Arenas'' (1935) * '' That's Sport'' (1938) * ' ...

as Monsieur Corbidas *

Franck Cabot-David Franck can refer to: People * Franck (name) Other * Franck, Argentina, town in Santa Fe Province, Argentina * Franck (company), Croatian coffee and snacks company * Franck (crater), Lunar crater named after James Franck See also * Fran ...

as Henri Lartigue *

Andrée Brabant Marie Thérèse "Andrée" Brabant (; 1901–1989) was a French film actress.Goble p.161 She played a number of leading roles during the silent era. Selected filmography * '' Le droit à la vie'' (1917) * '' The Zone of Death'' (1917) * '' La ci ...

as Femme sur pédalo *

Nicole Courget Nicole may refer to: People * Nicole (name) Nicole is a Grammatical gender#Personal names, feminine given name and a surname. The given name Nicole is a French people, French feminine derivative of the masculine given name Nicolas (given name ...

as Sophie Malhouin * Joël Monteilhet as Jules Lartigue *

Yvonne Gamy Yvonne is a feminine given name, the female form of Yvon, which is derived from the French name Yves and Yvette. It is from the French word ''iv'', meaning "yew" (or tree). Since yew wood was used for bows, Ivo may have been an occupational ...

as Félicie - la bonne *

Georges Rostan Georges Maurice Gerard Rostan (14 November 1938 – 26 March 2020) was a French actor. Filmography *'' La Cuisine au Beurre'' (1963) * '' That Tender Age'' (1964) *''Les Racines du mal'' (1967) *''Les Enquêtes du commissaire Maigret'' (1979) *'' ...

as Max Lartigue *

Noël Roquevert Noël Roquevert (born Noël Louis Raymond Bénévent; 18 December 1892 – 6 November 1973) was a French stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1932 and 1972. Roquevert was born in Doué-la-Fontaine and was married ...

as L'estivant récalcitrant

References

Bibliography

* Harriss, Joseph. ''Jean Gabin: The Actor Who Was France''. McFarland, 2018. * Oscherwitz, Dayna & Higgins, MaryEllen . ''The A to Z of French Cinema''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:That Tender Age 1960s French-language films 1964 films 1964 comedy films French comedy films Films directed by Gilles Grangier Films scored by Georges Delerue Films shot at Saint-Maurice Studios Films set in Paris Films shot in Paris 1960s French films