''Act of Love'' (French title: ''Un acte d'amour'') is a 1953 American romantic drama film directed by

Anatole Litvak Anatoly Mikhailovich Litvak (russian: Анатолий Михайлович Литвак; 21 May 1902 – 15 December 1974), better known as Anatole Litvak, was a Ukrainian-born American filmmaker who wrote, directed, and produced films in vari ...

, starring

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. D ...

and Dany Robin. It is based on the 1949 novel ''The Girl on the Via Flaminia'' by Alfred Hayes. A Parisian falls in love with an American soldier near the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

Plot

Robert Teller (

) visits a seaport in the south of France in the early 1950s. He reflects back to his time in the army shortly after Paris has been liberated. Years earlier, to get away from the barracks and the other soldiers, Robert rents a room in a hotel-restaurant. Lise Guidayec ( Dany Robin), an orphan without money or identity papers, seeks a way to escape from the authorities. She asks Robert to pass her off as his wife. Even though he does not inspire trust, she starts to fall in love. Lise tells of the time she was the most happy and secure—living in a little seaside village. When a

black market A black market, underground economy, or shadow economy is a clandestine market or series of transactions that has some aspect of illegality or is characterized by noncompliance with an institutional set of rules. If the rule defines the ...

dragnet lands Lise in jail, she is humiliated because now she (like

Jean Valjean Jean Valjean () is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. The story depicts the character's struggle to lead a normal life and redeem himself after serving a 19-year-long prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his ...

) is branded a "criminal for life". By this time, Robert loves her deeply and is willing to marry her. In order to do so, Robert must obtain the approval of his commanding officer, who refuses because the captain thinks he knows what is best for his men. Robert is transferred away from Paris immediately. He deserts, but is arrested, causing him to miss his wedding to Lise. His thoughts returning to the present, Robert runs into his old captain (who had been trying to place Robert's face). He hears the captain tell his wife what a troublemaker Robert was back then and how he "rescued" Robert from the clutches of a French girl. Robert then reveals that Lise committed suicide by drowning in the river shortly after he was transferred.

Cast

as Robert Teller * Dany Robin as Lise Gudayec / Madame Teller *

Gabrielle Dorziat Gabrielle Dorziat (1880–1979) was a French stage and film actress. Dorziat was a fashion trend setter in Paris and helped popularize the designs of Coco Chanel. The Théâtre Gabrielle-Dorziat in Épernay, France is named for her. Biography ...

as Adèle Lacaud *

Barbara Laage Barbara Laage (30 July 1920 – 21 May 1988) was a French film actress who flourished in the 1950s. After fleeing Paris with her family during the German occupation in World War II, Laage returned to the city after the war and commenced her act ...

as Nina *

Fernand Ledoux Fernand Ledoux (born Jacques Joseph Félix Fernand Ledoux, 24 January 1897, Tirlemont – 21 September 1993, Villerville) was a French film and theatre actor of Belgian origin. He studied with Raphaël Duflos at the CNSAD, and began his ...

as Fernand Lacaud * Robert Strauss as S/Sgt. Johnny Blackwood * Marthe Mercadier as La fille de la terrasse / Young woman * George Mathews as Captain Henderson * Richard Benedict as Pete (GI who is rolled for his money) *

Leslie Dwyer Leslie Gilbert Dwyer (28 August 1906 – 26 December 1986) was an English film and television actor. Career He was born in Catford, the son of the popular music hall comedian Johnny Dwyer, and acted from the age of ten and appeared in his firs ...

as Le sergent anglais / English sergeant *

Sydney Chaplin Sydney John Chaplin (; 16 March 1885 – 16 April 1965) was an English actor. Chaplin was the elder half-brother of actor and director Charlie Chaplin and served as his business manager in later life. Through their mother Hannah, they were o ...

as Un soldat / Soldier *

Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...

as Mimi * Nedd Willard * Serge Reggiani as Claude Lacaud

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Act Of Love 1953 romantic drama films 1953 films American romantic drama films French romantic drama films Films directed by Anatole Litvak American black-and-white films French black-and-white films Films based on British novels Films based on romance novels Films set in 1945 Films set in 1946 Films set in France Films with screenplays by Irwin Shaw United Artists films English-language French films American World War II films French World War II films 1950s American films 1950s French films