''Village Feud'' or ''The Hunting Ground'' (French: ''La Table-aux-Crevés'') is a 1951 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

Henri Verneuil Henri Verneuil (; born Ashot Malakian; 15 October 1920 – 11 January 2002) was a French-Armenian playwright and filmmaker, who made a successful career in France. He was nominated for Oscar and Palme d'Or awards, and won Locarno International Fi ...

and starring Fernandel, Maria Mauban and Andrex. It is based on the 1929 novel '' The Hollow Field'' by Marcel Aymé.Goble p.19 It was filmed at the

Marseille Studios Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern France, ...

and on location in

Cabriès Cabriès (; oc, Cabriés) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône department *Realtor transmitter Realtor transmitter was a powerful medium wave transmit ...

in Provence. 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 ...

René Moulaert René Moulaert (1901–1965) was a Belgian art director who worked on designing stage and film sets.Thys p.316 Selected filmography * '' The Marriage of Mademoiselle Beulemans'' (1932) * '' Strange Inheritance'' (1943) * '' Night Shift'' (1944) * ...

. It was Verneuil's first feature film after directing a number of shorts.

Synopsis

When the wife of farmer and village politician Urbain Coindet commits suicide, his political rivals all allege that she was really murdered. Meanwhile, Urbain courts the daughter of a local tobacco smuggler who hates him.

Cast

* Fernandel as Urbain Coindet * Maria Mauban as Jeanne Gari * Andrex as Frédéric Gari *

Antonin Berval Antonin Berval (1891–1966) was a French film actor.Goble p.4 He is sometimes credited simply as Berval. Selected filmography * ''Notre Dame d'amour'' (1923) * ''Arthur'' (1931) - Hubert de Fondragon * ''Le costaud des PTT'' (1931) * ''To the P ...

as Le père Gari * René Génin as Le curé * Fernand Sardou as Forgeral *

Alexandre Arnaudy Alexandre Arnaudy was a French actor, born Marius Guarino on July 17, 1881 in Marseille, where he died on November 1, 1969. Filmography * 1932 : A phone call from Georges Lacombe : Cormainville * 1932 : The Last Shock of Jacques de Baronce ...

as Miloin *

Marcel Charvey 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 s ...

as Rambarde *

Jenny Hélia Jenny may refer to: * Jenny (given name), a popular feminine name and list of real and fictional people * Jenny (surname), a family name Animals * Jenny (donkey), a female donkey * Jenny (gorilla), the oldest gorilla in captivity at the time of ...

as La Cornette * Jeanne Mars as Une commère * Mado Stelli as Louise *

Marthe Marty Marthe may refer to: *Marthe (given name) a feminine given name * ''Marthe'' (novel), an 1876 novel by Joris-Karl Huysmans *''Marthe'', an 1877 play by Georges Ohnet * ''Marthe'' (film), a 1997 film by Gérard Jugnot People with the surname *Willi ...

as Heloise Miloin *

Edmond Ardisson Edmond Ardisson (23 October 1904, in Marseille – 30 November 1983, in Jouarre Jouarre () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Jouarre Abbey It is the site of the Jouarre Abbey, a ...

as Cugue * Max Mouron as Le Corne * Cambis as Un client du bistrot *

Manuel Gary Manuel may refer to: People * Manuel (name) * Manuel (Fawlty Towers), a fictional character from the sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'' * Charlie Manuel, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies * Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of the Byzantine Empire * M ...

as Felicien Berger *

Henri Vilbert Henri Vilbert (6 April 1904 – 20 April 1997) was a French actor. He appeared in more than a hundred films from 1921 to 1982. Filmography References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vilbert, Henri 1904 births 1997 deaths 20th- ...

as Victor *

Édouard Delmont Édouard Delmont (5 December 1883 – 22 November 1955) was a French actor born Édouard Marius Autran in Marseille. He died in Cannes at age 72. Filmography *1930 : '' L'Arlésienne'' de Jacques de Baroncelli *1930 : ''Maison de danses'' de ...

as Capucet

References

Bibliography

* Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999. * Oscherwitz, Dayna & Higgins, MaryEllen. ''The A to Z of French Cinema''. Scarecrow Press, 2009. * Rège, Philippe. ''Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Volume 1''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1951 films French comedy films 1951 comedy films 1950s French-language films Films directed by Henri Verneuil French black-and-white films 1950s French films Films based on French novels {{1950s-France-film-stub