''Millionaires for One Day'' (French: ''Millionnaires d'un jour'') is a 1949 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

André Hunebelle André Hunebelle (1 September 1896 – 27 November 1985) was a French maître verrier (master glassmaker) and film director. Master Glass Artist After attending polytechnic school for mathematics, he became a decorator, a designer, and then a mas ...

and starring

Gaby Morlay Gaby Morlay (born Blanche Pauline Fumoleau; 8 June 1893 – 4 July 1964) was a film actress from France.

Jean Brochard Jean Brochard (12 March 1893 – 17 June 1972) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1933 and 1966. Selected filmography * '' A Man's Neck'' (1933) - Petit rôle (uncredited) * ''Boubouroche'' (1933) * ''La ...

and

Ginette Leclerc Ginette Leclerc (born Geneviève Lucie Menut; February 9, 1912 – January 2, 1992) was a French film actress. She appeared in nearly 90 films between 1932 and 1978. Her last TV appearance was in 1981. She was born in Ile-de-France, France ...

. It was shot at the

Francoeur Studios The Francoeur Studios are film production studios in Paris. In 1926 Bernard Natan's Rapid Films set up production at the location, before in 1929 it was merged with the Pathé conglomerate under Natan's overall control. In the postwar era it wa ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. 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 ...

Lucien Carré Lucien Carré (born 1904) was a French art director Capua p.127 active in the French cinema designing film sets from the late 1920s to the late 1950s. He worked frequently with the director André Hunebelle as well as Julien Duvivier and Anatol ...

. It was produced and distributed by

Pathé Pathé or Pathé Frères (, styled as PATHÉ!) is the name of various French people, French businesses that were founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France starting in 1896. In the early 1900s, Pathé became the world's largest ...

.Kermabon p.305

Synopsis

Due to an error printed in a

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...

, a number of people wrongly believe they have won the

lottery A lottery is a form of gambling that involves the drawing of numbers at random for a prize. Some governments outlaw lotteries, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of ...

. When the mistake is revealed, it transpires that they are all better off anyway.

Cast

Gaby Morlay Gaby Morlay (born Blanche Pauline Fumoleau; 8 June 1893 – 4 July 1964) was a film actress from France.

as Hélène Berger, Pierre's wife *

as Pierre Berger, Hélène's husband *

as Greta Schmidt *

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 Francis, the gangster * Yves Deniaud as Antoine Bergas *

André Valmy André Valmy (8 October 1919 – 18 November 2015) was a French film actor. He was born André Antoine Marius Dugenet in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1940 and 2001. He is also known in France to ...

as Marcel, an accomplice of Francis *

André Gabriello André Gabriello (1896–1975) was a French film actor. A character actor known for his supporting roles, notable appearances included Jean Renoir's ''Partie de campagne'' (1936) and Maurice Tourneur's '' Cecile Is Dead'' (1944).Waldman p.165 H ...

as Le maire de Villeneuve *

Bernard Lajarrige Bernard La Jarrige (25 February 1912 – 29 May 1999) was a French film and television actor.Paietta p.17 His name is sometimes written as Bernard Lajarrige. Selected filmography * '' Orage'' (1938) - Un copain (uncredited) * ''La cité des lumi ...

as Philippe Dubreuil, journalist *

Pierre Larquey Pierre Larquey (10 July 1884 – 17 April 1962) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1913 and 1962. Born in Cénac, Gironde, France, he died in Maisons-Laffitte at the age of 77. Selected filmography * ''Patr ...

as Jules Martin *

Louis de Funès Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza (; 31 July 1914 – 27 January 1983) was a French actor and comedian. He is France's favourite actor, according to a series of polls conducted since the late 1960s, having played over 150 roles in fil ...

as Philippe's advocate *

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 Le directeur *

Antoine Balpêtré Antoine Balpêtré (3 May 1898 – 28 March 1963) was a French stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1933 and 1963. Partial filmography * '' The Agony of the Eagles'' (1933) - Le commandant Thiéry * '' The House ...

as Toubib *

Jacques Baumer Jacques Baumer (born Jacques Henri Nusbaumer; 12 April 1885 - 20 June 1951), was a French theatre director and comedian. Filmography * 1932: ' by Georges Lacombe * 1933: ''Étienne'' by Jean Tarride * 1936: ' by Max Glass and Marco de Gastyne ...

as The Judge *

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 Jules Flamand * Paul Demange as Le collègue de Pierre Berger *

Pierre Destailles Pierre Destailles (1909–1990) was a French film, stage and television actor. He was also a noted lyricist.Cenciarelli p.249 Selected filmography * ''Dropped from Heaven'' (1946) * ''Mission in Tangier'' (1949) * '' Suzanne and the Robbers'' ( ...

as Le cafetier *

Jeanne Fusier-Gir Jeanne Fusier-Gir (1885–1973) was a French stage actor, stage and film actress. She was married to the painter Charles Gir, and was the mother of the film director François Gir.Rège p. 442 Selected filmography * ''The Crime of Sylvestre Bonn ...

as Louise *

Max Révol Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) (1 ...

as Jules, *

Madeleine Barbulée Madeleine Barbulée (2 September 1910 – 1 January 2001) was a French film, stage and television actress.''French Cinema in the 1970s: The Echoes of May'' p.265 Selected filmography * ''Métier de fous'' (1948) * '' Les Casse Pieds'' (1948) - ...

as L'infirmière *

Georges Bréhat Georges may refer to: Places *Georges River, New South Wales, Australia *Georges Quay (Dublin) *Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses *Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 1977 ...

as Un avocat *

Lucien Callamand Lucien Callamand born Lucien Marie Pascal Eugène Callamand (April 1, 1888, in Marseille – December 3, 1968, in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes) was one of the earliest French film actors whose career spanned six decades of French cinema. Between 1909 ...

as Le ministre *

Monique Darbaud Monique is a female given name. It is the French form of the name Monica. The name has enjoyed some popularity in the United States since about 1955, and is less common in other English-speaking countries except for Canada although mostly used ...

as Sylvie Dubreuil *

Jacques Dynam Jacques Dynam (30 December 1923 – 12 November 2004) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 150 films between 1942 and 2004, among which the ''Fantomas'' saga. Selected filmography * ''La symphonie fantastique'' (1942) - (uncre ...

as Michel *

Sylvie Pelayo Sylvie may refer to: * ''Sylvie'' (novel), an 1853 novel by Gérard de Nerval * Sylvie (actress) (1883–1970), French actress * Sylvie (band), a Canadian rock band from Regina, active in the 2000s * ''Sylvie'' (album), a 1962 album by Sylvie Va ...

as Sylvia *

Germaine Reuver Germaine Reuver (1885–1953) was a French stage and film actress.Goble p.18 Selected filmography * '' Miss Helyett'' (1933) * '' Lake of Ladies'' (1934) * '' Inspector of the Red Cars'' (1935) * '' Madame Angot's Daughter'' (1935) * '' Caprices' ...

as La vendeuse *

Robert Noël 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 Un complice

References

Bibliography

* Bonnotte, Stéphane. ''Louis de Funès: jusqu'au bout du rire''. Lafon, 2002. *Kermabon, Jacques. ''Pathé: premier empire du cinéma''. Centre Georges Pompidou, 1994.

External links

* French comedy films 1940s French-language films French black-and-white films Films directed by André Hunebelle 1949 comedy films 1949 films 1940s French films Pathé films Films shot at Francoeur Studios {{1940s-France-film-stub