''My Seal and Them'' (French: ''Mon phoque et elles'') 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 Pierre Billon and starring

Marie Daëms Marie Daëms (1928–2016) was a French stage, film and television actress. Hayward & Vincendeau p.127 After studying at the Lycée Jules-Ferry in Paris, Daëms made her stage debut in 1947 and her first screen appearance in 1949. She was marrie ...

François Périer François Périer (born François Pillu; 10 November 1919 – 29 June 2002), was a French actor renowned for his expressiveness and diversity of roles. He made over 110 film and TV appearances between 1938 and 1996, with notable excursion into ...

and

Jeanne Fusier-Gir Jeanne Fusier-Gir (1885–1973) was a French 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 Bonnard'' (192 ...

. A separate Swedish-language version ''

My Friend Oscar ''My Friend Oscar'' (Swedish: ''Min vän Oscar'') is a 1951 Swedish comedy film directed by Pierre Billon and Åke Ohberg and starring Åke Söderblom, Margareta Fahlén and Olof Winnerstrand.Qvist & Von Bagh p.111 A separate French-language ver ...

'' was also produced. It was shot at the Photosonor Studios in

Courbevoie Courbevoie () is a commune located in the Hauts-de-Seine Department of the Île-de-France region of France. It is in the suburbs of the city of Paris, from the center of Paris. The centre of Courbevoie is situated from the city limits of Par ...

on the outskirts of

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 ...

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) ...

Synopsis

A fast-living

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

's uncomplicated life is thrown into disorder when he wins a

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

in a

raffle A raffle is a gambling competition in which people obtain numbered tickets, each of which has the chance of winning a prize. At a set time, the winners are drawn at random from a container holding a copy of each number. The drawn tickets are chec ...

. His girlfriend Gabrielle leaves him, but fortunately he meets Diana an Englishwoman who appreciates seals.

Cast

as Gabrielle Rivers *

as François Verville *

as Madame Pierrat * Pierre Bertin as Monsieur de Saint-Brive *

Moira Lister Moira Lister Gachassin-Lafite, Viscountess of Orthez (6 August 192327 October 2007) was a South African-British film, stage and television actress and writer. Early life Born in Cape Town to Major James Lister and Margaret (née Hogan), List ...

as Diana *

Odette Barencey Odette Barencey (20 August 1893 – 4 March 1981) was a French film actress. She appeared in more than 50 films between 1927 and 1958. She was married to the actor Marcel Barencey. Selected filmography * '' My Childish Father'' (1930) * ' ...

as La concierge *

Made Siamé Made Siamé (1885–1974) was a French stage and film actress.Goble p.229 Selected filmography * ''Youth'' (1933) * '' The House on the Dune'' (1934) * ''The Mysteries of Paris'' (1935) * '' The Secret of Polichinelle'' (1936) * '' The Alibi'' ...

as La poissonnière *

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 Un livreur * Hennery as Un livreur *

Raymond Rognoni Raymond Rognoni (Paris, 16 August 1892 – Paris, 26 September 1965) was a French actor and comedian. He worked in the theatre and in film (''Sylvie et le fantôme'', ''Les Enfants du Paradis''), sometimes credited as Rognoni. Biography Rognoni wa ...

as Le gérant *

Pierre Sergeol Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

as Le patron du restaurant *

Campbell Cotts Campbell Cotts (21 April 190219 February 1964) was a Cape Colony-born actor of British stage, film and television. A former barrister and a published poet, Cotts studied at Cambridge and fought in Second World War, attaining the rank of 1st Lieu ...

as Sir Archibald *

Michael Trubshawe Michael Trubshawe (7 December 1905 – 21 March 1985) was a British actor and former officer in the Highland Light Infantry Regiment of the British Army. Trubshawe was very close friends with fellow British actor David Niven, serving with hi ...

as Sir Frederick *

René Alié 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 femin ...

as Un agent de police *

Gil Delamare Gil or GIL may refer to: Places * Gil Island (disambiguation), one of several islands by that name * Gil, Iran, a village in Hormozgan Province, Iran * Hil, Azerbaijan, also spelled ''Gil, a village in Azerbaijan * Hiloba, also spelled ''Gil, ...

as Un agent * Marcel Melrac as L'employé à la gare *

Albert Michel Albert Michel (1909–1981) was a French stage, film and television actor.Paietta p.40 Selected filmography * ''Je chante'' (1938) - Un laitier (uncredited) * ''Ne bougez plus'' (1941) - Clanpinet * ''Chèque au porteur'' (1941) * ''Fièvres'' ( ...

as Le poissonnier *

Jean Kolb Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...

as Le locataire * Georges-François Frontec as Un homme

References

Bibliography

* Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999.

External links

* 1951 films 1951 comedy films French comedy films 1950s French-language films Films directed by Pierre Billon 1950s French films {{1950s-France-film-stub