''Madame Sans-Gêne'' is a 1961 Spanish- Italian-

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

film co-production, filmed in Eastmancolor and Technirama, and distributed in the United States by Embassy Pictures. The film was directed by

Christian-Jaque Christian-Jaque (byname of Christian Maudet; 4 September 1904 – 8 July 1994) was a French filmmaker. From 1954 to 1959, he was married to actress Martine Carol, who starred in several of his films, including '' Lucrèce Borgia'' (1953), '' ...

and adapted from the 1893 play by Victorien Sardou and Émile Moreau. The film stars

Sophia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...

and a cast of French and Italian players, including Robert Hossein, Julien Bertheau, Renaud Mary, Léa Gray, Gianrico Tedeschi, and Marina Berti.

Background

''Madame Sans-Gêne'' has a legendary history in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

. It is based on the life of Catherine Hübscher, born in

Goldbach-Altenbach Goldbach-Altenbach is a Communes of France, commune in the Haut-Rhin Departments of France, department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. See also * Communes of the Haut-Rhin département References

Communes of Haut-Rhin {{Hau ...

(

Haut-Rhin Haut-Rhin (, ; Alsatian: ''Owerelsàss'' or '; german: Oberelsass, ) is a department in the Grand Est region of France, bordering both Germany and Switzerland. It is named after the river Rhine. Its name means ''Upper Rhine''. Haut-Rhin is th ...

) in 1753. She started off as a laundress who used to wash and iron Napoleon's clothes when he was a common corporal. She married François Joseph Lefebvre, an army sergeant who became

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

and was later elevated by

Napoleon I 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 wh ...

to the rank of Duke of Danzig. She was known by the nickname of Madame Sans-Gêne, (literally ''Mrs No Embarrassment'') because of her behaviour, free speech and lack of proper manners at court. The play by Victorien Sardou and Émile Moreau were extremely popular. It was later serialised in novel form by Raymond Lepelletier. The role was played on stage by Réjane, in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and who also brought it to the screen twice, in 1900 and 1911. In 1924, silent screen star

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

played the title role and it was an international box-office success. In 1941, it was played by Arletty. In 1945, it was made into an Argentinian film. The story was also the subject of the opera ''Madame Sans-Gêne'' by Umberto Giordano which had its world premiere at the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

in 1915. The 1961 film featured a FRF6 million budget, lavish period sets, and costumes designed for Loren by Marcel Escoffier and

Itala Scandariato Itala was a car manufacturer based in Turin, Italy, from 1904 to 1934, started by Matteo Ceirano and five partners in 1903. Ceirano family background The Ceirano brothers, Giovanni Battista, Giovanni, Ernesto and Matteo, were influential in the ...

External links

* * * 1961 films 1961 comedy-drama films 1961 romantic comedy films 1960s historical romance films 1960s Spanish-language films French historical comedy-drama films French historical romance films Italian historical comedy-drama films Italian historical romance films Depictions of Napoleon on film French Revolution films French films based on plays Italian films based on actual events French films based on actual events Films based on works by Victorien Sardou Films produced by Ricardo Sanz 1960s Italian films 1960s French films {{1960s-romantic-comedy-film-stub