''Portrait of Innocence'' (French: ''Nous les gosses'') is a 1941 French

comedy drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed by

Louis Daquin Louis Daquin (20 May 1908 – 2 October 1980) was a French film director, screenwriter and actor. He directed 14 films between 1938 and 1963. He also appeared in 11 films between 1937 and 1979. Selected filmography * '' The Man from Nowher ...

and starring

Louise Carletti Louise Carletti (27 February 1922 – 1 April 2002) was a French film actress.Kennedy-Karpat p.171 She was married to the director Raoul André. Selected filmography * '' People Who Travel'' (1938) * ''Girls in Distress'' (1939) * '' The White ...

Gilbert Gil Gilbert Gil (September 9, 1913 – August 25, 1988) was a French film actor. He also directed a single film '' Criminal Brigade'' in 1947.Oscherwitz & Higgins p.47 Partial filmography * ''Mayerling'' (1936) - Un étudiant (uncredited) * ''Les gr ...

and

André Brunot André Brunot (3 October 1879 - 6 August 1973) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than twenty films from 1910 to 1966. Filmography References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brunot, Andre 1879 births 1973 deaths French male ...

. It was shot at the

Joinville Studios The Joinville Studios were a film studio in Paris which operated between 1910 and 1987. They were one of the leading French studios, with major companies such as Pathé and Gaumont making films there. A second studio was added to the original ...

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 ...

during the

German occupation German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 an ...

. 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 Aguettand Lucien Aguettand (28 January 1901 – 14 February 1989) was a French art directorHayward p.205 who designed the sets for over eighty films during his career. Selected filmography * ''Little Devil May Care'' (1928) * ''All That's Not Worth Love' ...

. It is also known by the

alternative title An alternative title is a media sales device most prominently used in film distribution. Books and films are commonly released under a different title when they are screened or sold in a different country. This can vary from small change to the t ...

''Us Kids'', and drew uncredited inspiration from

Erich Kästner Emil Erich Kästner (; 23 February 1899 – 29 July 1974) was a German writer, poet, screenwriter and satirist, known primarily for his humorous, socially astute poems and for children's books including '' Emil and the Detectives''. He received ...

's novel ''

Emil and the Detectives ''Emil and the Detectives'' () is a 1929 novel set mainly in Berlin, by the German writer Erich Kästner and illustrated by Walter Trier. It was Kästner's first major success and the only one of his pre-1945 works to escape Nazi censorship. The ...

''.Cardullo p.135 In 1948

Cecil Day-Lewis Cecil Day-Lewis (or Day Lewis; 27 April 1904 – 22 May 1972), often written as C. Day-Lewis, was an Irish-born British poet and Poet Laureate from 1968 until his death in 1972. He also wrote mystery stories under the pseudonym of Nicholas Bla ...

based his book ''

The Otterbury Incident ''The Otterbury Incident'' is a novel for children by Cecil Day-Lewis first published in the UK in 1948 with illustrations by Edward Ardizzone, and in the USA in 1949. Day-Lewis's second and final children's book, the novel is an adapta ...

'' on the film's screenplay.

Cast

as Mariette *

as Monsieur Morin, l'instituteur *

as Le commissaire *

Marcel Pérès Marcel Pérès (born 15 July 1956, Oran, Algeria) is a French musicologist, composer, choral director and singer, and the founder of the early music group Ensemble Organum. He is an authority on Gregorian and pre-Gregorian chant. Pérès was ...

as Victor Lemoine *

Louis Seigner Louis Seigner (23 June 1903 – 20 January 1991) was a French actor. He was born in Saint-Chef, Isère, France, the son of Louise (Monin) and Joseph Seigner, and died in Paris. He was the father of actress Françoise Seigner, with Marie Cazeaux, ...

as Le directeur de l'école *

Anthony Gildès Anthony Gildès (13 August 1856 – 6 October 1941) was a French actor. Anthony Gildès was born Anatole Gleizes in Metz, France. He died in Paris at age 85. Selected filmography * '' The Zone of Death'' (1917) * '' The Torture of Silence'' (191 ...

as Le père Castor *

Léonce Corne Léonce Charles Corne (18 March 1894 – 31 December 1977) was a French film actor. He appeared in 120 films between 1931 and 1974. Selected filmography * ''The Girl and the Boy'' (1931) * ''Luck'' (1931) * ''The Premature Father'' (1933) ...

as L'ami de la famille *

Martial Rèbe Marcus Valerius Martialis (known in English as Martial ; March, between 38 and 41 AD – between 102 and 104 AD) was a Roman poet from Hispania (modern Spain) best known for his twelve books of ''Epigrams'', published in Rome between AD 86 and ...

as Le père de Fernand *

Madeleine Geoffroy Madeleine may refer to: Common meanings *Madeleine (name), also Madeline, a feminine given name *Madeleine (cake), a traditional sweet cake from France *Mary Magdalene, also called the Madeleine Arts and entertainment * ''Madelein'' (1919 fi ...

as La mère de Fernand *

Jeanne Pérez Jeanne Pérez (28 September 1894 – 11 May 1975) was a French film actress. She appeared in 50 films between 1930 and 1975. Filmography References External links * 1894 births 1975 deaths French film actresses People from Caste ...

as La mère de Jeannot *

Henry Darbray Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

as Le client radin *

François Viguier François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, Kin ...

as Le mendiant *

Émile Genevois Émile Genevois (1 January 1918 – 19 September 1962) was a French film actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in mode ...

as Gros Charles *

Lucien Coëdel Lucien Coëdel (1899–1947) was a French film actor. He appeared in the title role in the historical film '' Roger la Honte'' and its sequel ''The Revenge of Roger ''The Revenge of Roger'' (French: ''La revanche de Roger la Honte'') is a 1946 F ...

as Le père de Jeannot * Robert Arpin as Gégène * Serge Bedez as Un gamin *

Jean Buquet 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 * Jean ...

as Tom Mix *

Jean-Marie Boyer Jean-Marie is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: * Jean-Marie Abgrall (born 1950), a French psychiatrist, criminologist, specialist in forensic medicine, cult expert, and graduate in criminal law * Jean-Marie Ch ...

as Lucien Collard * Liliane Barnassin as Une gamine *

Bernard Daydé Bernard (''Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern'' "bear" and ''hard'' "brav ...

as Doudou * Jean-Pierre Geffroy as Pierrot Roset * Henri Legoullon as Fernand * André Lancel as Jeannot * Jean Samson as Robert *

Raymond Bussières Raymond Bussières (3 November 1907 – 29 April 1982) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 160 films between 1933 and 1982. He was born in Ivry-la-Bataille and died in Paris. He is buried in Marchenoir. He was married to the ac ...

as Gaston *

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 Le père Finot *

Paul Frankeur Paul Frankeur (29 June 1905 - 27 October 1974) was a French actor who appeared in films by Jacques Tati (''Jour de fête'') and Luis Buñuel (''The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie'' and ''The Phantom of Liberty''). He was sometimes credited a ...

as Le secrétaire du commissaire

References

Bibliography

* Cardullo, Bert (ed.) ''Bazin at Work: Major Essays and Reviews From the Forties and Fifties''. Routledge, 2014. * Lanzoni, Rémi Fournier . ''French Cinema: From Its Beginnings to the Present''. A&C Black, 2004. * Rège, Philippe. ''Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Volume 1''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1941 films French drama films 1941 drama films French comedy films 1941 comedy films 1940s French-language films Films directed by Louis Daquin 1940s French films Pathé films Films shot at Joinville Studios Films shot in Paris {{1940s-France-film-stub