''La Maternelle'' (International title: ''Children of Montmartre'') is a 1933 French film directed and written by Jean Benoît-Lévy and Marie Epstein. It was adapted from
Léon Frapié's
Prix Goncourt
The Prix Goncourt (french: Le prix Goncourt, , ''The Goncourt Prize'') is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year". The prize carries a symbolic reward o ...
winning novel ''
La Maternelle
''La Maternelle'' (1904; "The Kindergarten") is a Prix Goncourt winning novel by French author Léon Frapié. It was adapted to film as '' La Maternelle'' (1933). It is a kind of autobiographical novel by proxy since its author used not his own ...
'' (1904).
In 1935, it was ranked as the 6th best foreign film by the
National Board of Review of Motion Pictures
The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...
, and has received a 7.3 ranking (out of 10) by 71 reviewers at the
Internet Movie Database
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
.
Plot
Rose, a girl from a well off family faces a series of tragic events that leaves her penniless and without a home. She is hired as an attendant at a day-care center in Paris with 150 poor children. She finds herself tenderly caring for them and soon they become very fond of her. One young girl named Marie, who is the abandoned daughter of a prostitute, becomes so attached to Rose that she becomes jealous when anyone else steals Rose's attention. Marie even tries to kill herself when she learns of Rose's plans to marry Dr. Libois, the school's physician. Despite this, La Maternelle ultimately finds its way to a happy ending.
[Hal Erickson]
''La Maternelle''
All Media Guide, Answers.com, 2009; accessed February 20, 2010.
Cast
*
Madeleine Renaud
Lucie Madeleine Renaud (; 21 February 1900 – 23 September 1994) was a French actress best remembered for her work in the theatre. She did though appear in several films directed by Jean Grémillon including ''Remorques'' (''Stormy Waters'' ...
- Rose
* Mady Berry - Mme. Paulin
*
Alice Tissot
Alice Tissot (1 January 1890 – 5 May 1971) was a French actress.
Partial filmography
* ''Poum à la chasse'' (1908)
* ''Le devoir'' (1908)
* ' (1909)
* ' (1909)
* '' The Two Girls'' (1921)
* '' A Son from America'' (1924)
* '' Captain Rasca ...
- Superintendent
* Paulette Elambert - Marie Coeuret
*
Henri Debain
Henri Debain (3 August 1886 - 15 January 1983) was a French film actor.
He first appeared in '' Le Petit café'' in 1919, and appeared in more than 25 films between 1919 and 1956. He directed three films including ''Mephisto'' in 1931.
Filmogr ...
- Dr. Libois
* Edmond van Daele - Pantin
* Alex Bernard - Professor
Critical reviews
In 1935, the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' called it "a film of extraordinary insight, tenderness and tragic beauty", adding "Mr. Benoit-Levy presents a heart-breaking cross-section of this tatterdemalion kindergarten in such minor portraits as the little boy who has never learned how to smile."
[Andre Sennwald]
"Movie Review: La Maternelle (1933)"
''The New York Times'', October 15, 1935; accessed 20 February 2010.
Also known as
*''Children of Montmartre'': International (English title)
*''La maternelle'': Italy (dubbed version)
*''Moderhaender'': Denmark
*''Mutterhände'': Germany
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maternelle
1933 films
French black-and-white films
Films based on French novels