''Azaïs'' is a 1931 French

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

René Hervil René Hervil (1881–1960) was a French actor, screenwriter and film director.Goble p.322 Most of his films were made during the silent era. He directed the ''Maud'' series of films between 1912 and 1915 starring the Anglo-French actress Aimée Ca ...

and starring

Max Dearly Max Dearly (22 November 1874 – 2 June 1943) was a French stage and film actor. Dearly was born Lucien Paul Marie-Joseph Rolland in Paris, and died in Neuilly-sur-Seine on the 2 June 1943. Partial filmography * ''Le bonheur sous la main'' (19 ...

Simone Rouvière Simone may refer to: People * Simone (given name), a feminine (or Italian masculine) given name of Hebrew origin * Simone (surname), an Italian surname * People known mononymously as Simone include: **Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira (born 1949), Br ...

and Jeanne Saint-Bonnet. It is based on a play of the same title by

Georges Berr Georges Berr (30 July 1867 – 21 July 1942) in Paris, was a French actor and dramatist, a member and sociétaire of the Comédie-Française from 1886 to 1923. Under the pseudonyms Colias and Henry Bott he wrote several plays, particularly in c ...

and

Louis Verneuil Louis Jacques Marie Collin du Bocage (14 May 1893 – 3 November 1952), better known by the pen name Louis Verneuil, was a French playwright, screenwriter, and actor. Biography Born in Paris, Verneuil wrote approximately sixty plays and was b ...

.Goble p.38 The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Jean d'Eaubonne Jean d'Eaubonne (March 8, 1903 – July 30, 1971) was a French art director. He received an Oscar nomination in 1951 for his work on Max Ophüls's '' La Ronde. Selected filmography * '' Azaïs'' (1931) * '' Coquecigrole'' (1931) * '' Make a L ...

Synopsis

An unsuccessful

piano teacher Piano pedagogy is the study of the teaching of piano playing. Whereas the professional field of music education pertains to the teaching of music in school classrooms or group settings, piano pedagogy focuses on the teaching of musical skills t ...

has suffered what he believes to be thirty five year of bad luck. He becomes convinced by the

philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

Azaïs that this will inevitably be followed by thirty five years of good luck. His professional and romantic fortunes rapidly take an upward turn.

Cast

as Baron Wurtz *

as Suzette Wurtz * Jeanne Saint-Bonnet as Comtesse Romani *

Pierre Stéphen Pierre Stéphen (1890–1980) was a French film actor.Goble p.346 Selected filmography * ''Irène'' (1920) * ''La dette'' (1920) * ''Gigolette'' (1921) * ''La brèche d'enfer'' (1923) - Le Vicomte de La Cardière * ''Le double piège'' (1923) * ...

as Félix Borneret *

Gaston Dupray Gaston Dupray (8 June 1886 – 12 December 1976) was a Belgian film actor.Gaston Dupray
mabumbe.com Du ...

as Luquin * Henriette Delannoy as Baronne Wurtz * Vahlia Graham as Lady Hamilton *

Suzy Pierson Suzy Pierson (1902–1996) was a French film actress.Goble p.128 She played lead roles in several silent films of the 1920s. Selected filmography * ''Paris'' (1924) * '' Six and One Half Times Eleven'' (1927) * '' The Three-Sided Mirror'' (1927 ...

as Gabrielle Avize * Paulette Duvernet as La caissière *

Leda Ginelly Leda may refer to: Mythology * Leda (mythology), queen of Sparta and mother of Helen of Troy in Greek mythology Places * Leda, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia * Leda makeshift settlement, Bangladesh, a refugee camp ...

as La danseuse *

Henry Houry Henry Houry (1874–1972) was a French stage actor. He also appeared in and directed films.Waldman & Slide p.229 He worked for a while in the United States during the silent era, directing the 1918 Corinne Griffith film '' Love Watches''. Selec ...

as Fogson *

Robert Pizani Robert Pizani (26 April 1896 – 17 June 1965) was a French stage and film actor whose 45-year career encompassed leading roles in numerous plays, revues and operettas as well as dozens of films. In operetta Pizani's roles in operetta and musical ...

as Stromboli * Paul Clerget as Constantinovitch * Berni as Le roi de Moldavie

References

Bibliography

*Bessy, Maurice & Chirat, Raymond. ''Histoire du cinéma français: 1929-1934''. Pygmalion, 1988. * Crisp, Colin. ''Genre, Myth and Convention in the French Cinema, 1929-1939''. Indiana University Press, 2002. * Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999. * Rège, Philippe. ''Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Volume 1''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1931 films French comedy films 1931 comedy films 1930s French-language films Films directed by René Hervil French black-and-white films 1930s French films French films based on plays Films scored by Henri Verdun Films based on works by Louis Verneuil {{1930s-France-film-stub