''Monsieur Coccinelle'' 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

Dominique Bernard-Deschamps "Dominique" is a 1963 French language popular song, written and performed by the Belgian female singer Jeannine Deckers, better known as Sœur Sourire ("Sister Smile" in French) or The Singing Nun. The song is about Saint Dominic, a Spanish-born ...

and starring

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 ...

Jane Loury Jeanne Loury or Jane Loury (1876–1951) was a French stage and film actress.Goble p.199 Selected filmography * '' My Aunt from Honfleur'' (1923) * ''House in the Sun'' (1929) * ''All That's Not Worth Love'' (1931) * '' A Son from America'' (1932 ...

and

Jeanne Provost Jeanne Provost (1887–1980) was a French stage and film actress.Goble p.38 She was a member of the Comédie-Française from 1907 to 1912. In 1928 she appeared in the original cast of Marcel Pagnol's play '' Topaze''. Selected filmography * '' Af ...

. The film's sets were designed by

Boris Bilinsky Boris may refer to: People * Boris (given name), a male given name *:''See'': List of people with given name Boris * Boris (surname) * Boris I of Bulgaria (died 907), the first Christian ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire, canonized after his d ...

. The plot was based on an original story written by Bernard-Deschamps himself. It is notable for its break with conventional

realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...

, with several scenes that push towards outright

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

.Crisp p.246 The film had trouble securing

distribution Distribution may refer to: Mathematics *Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations * Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a vari ...

and initially premiered at an

art house An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...

venue. It was only during wartime, when it benefited from a national shortage of films, that it received a general release.

Synopsis

An average worker who feels downtrodden at work and home, dreams of becoming a

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in times ...

. His aunt has her own fantasy that the love-of-her-life, a fairground

magician Magician or The Magician may refer to: Performers * A practitioner of magic (supernatural) * A practitioner of magic (illusion) * Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context Entertainment Books * ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...

, will return to her once more.

Main cast

as Alfred Coccinelle *

as Mélanie Coccinelle *

as La tante Aurore *

René Bergeron René ('' born again'' or ''reborn'' in French) is a common first name in French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and German-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name Renatus. René is the masculine form of the name (Renée being the feminin ...

as Dutac * Yette Lucas as Hortense Dupont * Marcel Pérès as Brutus Dupont *

René Fluet René ('' born again'' or ''reborn'' in French) is a common first name in French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and German-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name Renatus. René is the masculine form of the name (Renée being the feminin ...

as Un médecin *

Robert Moor Robert Moor (17 July 1889 – 23 December 1972) was a French actor. Selected filmography * ''Une jeune fille et un million'' (1932) - Pimpant * ''Riri et Nono en vacances'' (1932) * ''Le soir des rois'' (1933) - Ferdinand Albaret * '' The A ...

as Un médecin * Michèle Béryl as La vendeuse *

Robert Pizani Robert Pizani (26 April 1896 – 17 June 1965) was a French stage and film actor whose 45-year career encompassed leading roles in numerous plays, revues and operettas as well as dozens of films. In operetta Pizani's roles in operetta and musical ...

as Illusio

References

Bibliography

* Crisp, Colin. ''French Cinema—A Critical Filmography: Volume 1, 1929-1939''. Indiana University Press, 2015.

External links

* 1938 comedy films French comedy films 1938 films 1930s French-language films Films directed by Dominique Bernard-Deschamps French black-and-white films 1930s French films {{1930s-France-film-stub