''If I Were Boss'' (French: ''Si j'étais le patron'') is a 1934 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 Richard Pottier and starring

Fernand Gravey Fernand Gravey (25 December 1905 in Ixelles (Belgium) – 2 November 1970 in Paris, France),Death certificate # 8/445/1970 also known as Fernand Gravet in the United States, was the son of actors Georges Mertens and Fernande Depernay, who a ...

, Max Dearly and

Mireille Balin Mireille Césarine Balin (born Blanche Mireille Césarine Balin; 20 July 1909, in Monte Carlo – 9 November 1968 in Paris)"Balin, Mireille (1911–1968)." ''Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages'', edited by Anne Commire ...

. The film's sets were designed by the art director Jacques Krauss. Thr depiction of a struggling business has been regarded as a metaphor for the wider state of French industry at the height of the Great Depression. It was produced the same year as a number of financial scandals hit French firms.Crisp p.109

Synopsis

Henri an employee at a

car factory The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % such ...

develops a revolutionary new improvement but his views are rejected as he faces the sack as a troublemaker. However the failing business is backed by an eccentric investor on the condition that Henri is appointed as manager of the firm. His new invention rescues the company, propelling it to success.

Cast

as Henri Janvier * Max Dearly as M. Maubert *

as Marcelle * Charles Dechamps as Sainclair *

Madeleine Guitty Madeleine Guitty (5 June 1870 – 12 April 1936) was a French stage and film actress.Crisp p.93 Selected filmography * ''The Mysteries of Paris'' (1922) * '' Madame Sans-Gêne'' (1925) * ''Montmartre'' (1925) * '' 600,000 Francs a Month'' (1926 ...

as Mme Pichu *

Pierre Palau Pierre Palau (13 August 1883 – 3 December 1966), often known simply as Palau, was a French actor. Palau was born Pierre Palau del Vitri in Paris and died at age 83 in Meudon, Hauts-de-Seine, France. Partial filmography * '' When Do You Commi ...

as Archibald Torrington *

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 * Georges Vitray as M. Leroy * Jane Pierson as Une actionnaire *

Claire Gérard Clair or Claire may refer to: *Claire (given name), a list of people with the name Claire * Clair (surname) Places Canada * Clair, New Brunswick, a former village, now part of Haut-Madawaska * Clair Parish, New Brunswick * Pointe-Claire, Q ...

as Mme Villiers *

André Dubosc André Dubosc (1866–1935) was a French stage and film actor.Goble p.176 Selected filmography * '' The Conspiracy'' (1913) * '' Happy Couple'' (1923) * ''Lady Harrington'' (1926) * ''The Crystal Submarine'' (1927) * '' Prince Jean'' (1928) * '' ...

as Un actionnaire * Anthony Gildès as M. Triangle * Pierre Darteuil as Villiers * Christian Argentin as Sicaud * Pierre Huchet as Un actionnaire

References

Bibliography

*Bessy, Maurice & Chirat, Raymond. ''Histoire du cinéma français: 1929-1934''. Pygmalion, 1988. * Crisp, Colin. ''French Cinema—A Critical Filmography: Volume 1, 1929-1939''. Indiana University Press, 2015. * Rège, Philippe. ''Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Volume 1''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1934 films French comedy films 1934 comedy films 1930s French-language films Films directed by Richard Pottier French black-and-white films 1930s French films Pathé films {{1930s-France-film-stub