''Promise at Dawn'' (french: La Promesse de l'aube) is a 1970 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Jules Dassin Julius "Jules" Dassin (December 18, 1911 – March 31, 2008) was an American film and theatre director, producer, writer and actor. A subject of the Hollywood blacklist in the McCarthy era, he subsequently moved to France, and later Greece, whe ...

and starring Melina Mercouri, Dassin's wife. It is based on the 1960 novel ''

Promise at Dawn ''Promise at Dawn'' (french: La Promesse de l'aube) is a 1970 American drama film directed by Jules Dassin and starring Melina Mercouri, Dassin's wife. It is based on the 1960 novel ''Promise at Dawn'' (french: La Promesse de l'aube) by Romain ...

'' (french: La Promesse de l'aube) by

Romain Gary Romain Gary (; 2 December 1980), born Roman Kacew (, and also known by the pen name Émile Ajar), was a French novelist, diplomat, film director, and World War II aviator. He is the only author to have won the Prix Goncourt under two names. He i ...

and the subsequent play by Samuel A. Taylor.

Plot

The film follows author Romain Gary as he recalls his growing up with his Lithuanian-born mother. The two leave Vilnius, Lithuania for France, where they settle in Paris. As twenty years pass, they encounter social change, age, different convictions, poverty and the slow approach of World War II.

Cast

* Melina Mercouri as Nina Kacew *

Assi Dayan Assaf "Assi" Dayan ( he, אסף "אסי" דיין; 23 November 1945 – 1 May 2014) was an Israeli film director, actor, screenwriter, and producer. Life Dayan was the youngest son of Israeli general and defense minister Moshe Dayan and peace a ...

as Romain age 25 *

Didier Haudepin Didier Haudepin (born 15 August 1951) is a French actor, film producer, director and screenwriter. He has appeared in 44 films and television shows, and plays since 1960. His film ''Those Were the Days'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard sec ...

as Romain age 15 * François Raffoul as Romain age 9 *

Despo Diamantidou Despoina "Despo" Diamantidou ( el, Δέσπω Διαμαντίδου; 13 July 1916 – 18 February 2004) was a Greek actress. She appeared in more than seventy films from 1949 to 2003. She played Tatiana in Alan King's summer replacement sitcom, ' ...

as Aniela (as Despo) *

Jean Martin Jean Martin (6 March 1922 – 2 February 2009Jean Martin
''The Guardian'', 12 February 2009

as Igor Igorevitch *

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 ...

as Jean-Michel Serusier * Jacqueline Porel as Madame Mailer *

Elspeth March Elspeth March (5 March 1911 – 29 April 1999) was an English actress. Early years March was born as Jean Elspeth Mackenzie in Kensington, London, England, the daughter of Harry Malcolm and Elfreda Mackenzie. She studied speech and drama un ...

as Fat Woman * Maria Machado as Nathalie Lissenko * Julie Dassin as Romain's Friend * René Clermont as Mr. Piekielny *

Carole Cole Carole Cole (October 17, 1944 – May 19, 2009) was an American actress, music producer, and the CEO of King Cole Productions. She was the daughter of singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole and jazz singer Maria Cole, and the older sister of s ...

as Louison * Marina Nestora as Mariette * Audrey Berindey as Valentine Mailer * Jacqueline Duc as Madame de Rare * Muni as Angélique * Thérèse Thoreaux as Silent Film Heroine *

as Ivan Mosjukine * Dennis Berry as Belle Gueule *

Rufus Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname (from Latin '' rufus'', "red"). Notable people with the name include: Given name Politicians * Rufus Ada George (born 1940), Nigerian politician * Rufus ...

as The Violin Teacher *

Katia Tchenko Katia Tchenko (born 8 May 1947) is a French actress. She has appeared in more than 100 films and television shows since 1967. In 1999 she was a member of the jury at the 21st Moscow International Film Festival The 21st Moscow International ...

as The actress

Production

The film was shot in Nice, Paris and the USSR. Dassin broke both his legs after falling over in October 1969 after three days of filming in Nice. Avco Embassy president

Joseph E. Levine Joseph Edward Levine (September 9, 1905 – July 31, 1987) was an American film distributor, financier and producer. At the time of his death, it was said he was involved in one or another capacity with 497 films. Levine was responsible for the ...

filmed a cameo for the film.

References

External links

* * 1970 films 1970 drama films American drama films Films scored by Georges Delerue Films based on works by Romain Gary Films based on French novels Films directed by Jules Dassin Embassy Pictures films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films {{1970s-drama-film-stub