''Napoleon Road'' (French: ''La route Napoléon'') is a 1953 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 Jean Delannoy and starring

Pierre Fresnay Pierre Fresnay (4 April 1897 – 9 January 1975) was a French stage and film actor. Biography Born Pierre Jules Louis Laudenbach, he was encouraged by his uncle, actor Claude Garry, to pursue a career in theater and film. He joined the company a ...

Henri Vilbert Henri Vilbert (6 April 1904 – 20 April 1997) was a French actor. He appeared in more than a hundred films from 1921 to 1982. Filmography References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vilbert, Henri 1904 births 1997 deaths 20th- ...

and

Claude Laydu Claude Laydu (; 10 March 1927 – 29 July 2011) was a Belgian-born Swiss actor on stage and in films. He was renowned for his performance in his film debut in the role of the young priest in Robert Bresson's '' Diary of a Country Priest'' (1951 ...

.BFI.org
/ref> It was partly shot at the Billancourt Studios in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 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), ma ...

. The film's sets were designed by the art director

Serge Piménoff Serge Piménoff (1895–1960) was a Russian-born French art director. He designed the sets for the 1958 film ''Les Misérables''.Hayward p.232 Selected filmography * '' Nights of Princes'' (1930) * '' The Unknown Singer'' (1931) * '' Sailor's Son ...

Synopsis

A chancer organises a series of

package tour A package tour, package vacation, or package holiday comprises transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. Other services may be provided such as a rental car, activities or outings during the ...

s along a route said to have been taken by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

in 1815 when in fact the Emperor never set foot there. The local inhabitants back up his story as they hope to cash in on the tourist boom.

Cast

as Édouard Martel *

as Blaise *

as Pierre Marchand *

René Génin René Génin (25 January 1890 – 24 October 1967) was a French stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 130 films between 1931 and 1965. Selected filmography * ''The Brighton Twins'' (1936) * ''27 Rue de la Paix'' (1936) * '' Nights ...

as Le curé *

Mireille Ozy Mireille () is a French given name, derived from the Provençal Occitan name ''Mirèio'' (or ''Mirèlha'' in the classical norm of Occitan, ). It could be related to the Occitan verb ''mirar'' "to look, to admire" or to the given names ''Miriam'' ...

as Stella *

Raphaël Patorni Raphaël Patorni (1911–1986) was a French film actor.Hayward p.439 Selected filmography * '' The Mysteries of Paris'' (1943) * ''The Island of Love'' (1944) * '' Jericho'' (1946) * '' Barry'' (1949) * '' Doctor Laennec'' (1949) * '' The Martyr ...

as Bonvent *

Fernand Sardou Fernand Sardou (September 18, 1910 – January 31, 1976La Gloire de Pagnol
p. 235.) was a French singer ...

as Le maire de Bourg-sur-Bléone *

Henri Arius Henri Arius (1897–1968) was a French film and stage actor. Crisp p.176 A character actor he appeared in a large number of films in wartime and post-war France. Selected filmography * '' Jeannou'' (1943) * '' Rooster Heart'' (1946) * '' Inspe ...

as Le boucher * Fransined as Le pharmacien *

Nicolas Amato Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...

as Figuières *

Maurice Bénard Maurice may refer to: People *Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr *Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and Lo ...

as Le ministre *

Pierrette Caillol Pierrette Caillol (1898–1991) was a French stage and film actress.Goble p.346 She was married to the writer-director Yvan Noé Yvan Noé (1895–1963) was a French playwright, screenwriter and film director.Driskell p.146 He was married to the ...

as La femme dudocteur *

Lucien Callamand Lucien Callamand born Lucien Marie Pascal Eugène Callamand (April 1, 1888, in Marseille – December 3, 1968, in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes) was one of the earliest French film actors whose career spanned six decades of French cinema. Between 1909 ...

as Sabatier- le garde-champêtre * Serge Davin as Cabanis - le coiffeur * Germaine de France as Madame Martel * Jean Landier as Emery *

Julien Maffre Julien may refer to: People * Julien (given name) * Julien (surname) Music * ''Julien'' (opera), a 1913 poème lyrique by Gustave Charpentier * ''Julien'' (album), by Dalida, 1973 * "Julien" (song), by Carly Rae Jepsen, 2019 Places ...

as Un habitant * Denise Precheur as Une employée * Annie Roudier as Delphine *

Hélène Tossy Helene or Hélène may refer to: People *Helene (given name), a Greek feminine given name *Helen of Troy, the daughter of Zeus and Leda *Helene, a figure in Greek mythology who was a friend of Aphrodite and helped her seduce Adonis *Helene (Ama ...

as La postière * Edmond Verva as Le père du jeune Victor *

as Pierre Marchand * Jean Panisse as Raphaël * Marie Albe as Clarisse - la journaliste

References

External links

* 1953 films 1953 comedy films 1950s French-language films Films directed by Jean Delannoy Films with screenplays by Roland Laudenbach French comedy films French black-and-white films Pathé films Films shot at Billancourt Studios Films set in Paris 1950s French films Films scored by Paul Misraki {{1950s-comedy-film-stub