''The Mayor's Dilemma'' (French: ''Les otages'') is a 1939 French

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. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by Raymond Bernard and starring Annie Vernay,

Saturnin Fabre Saturnin Fabre (; 4 April 1884 – 4 October 1961) was a French film actor. Selected filmography * ''La rafale'' (1920) - comte de Bréchebel * ''Mademoiselle de La Seiglière'' (1921) * '' The Road Is Fine'' (1930) - Le professeur Pique * ...

and Fernand Charpin. It was shot at the

Billancourt Studios Billancourt Studios was a film studio in Paris which operated between 1922 and 1992. Located in Boulogne-Billancourt, it was one of the leading French studios.Szczepanik & Vonderau p.141 It was founded in the silent era by Henri Diamant-Berger. Dur ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and on location in

Chézy-sur-Marne Chézy-sur-Marne (, literally ''Chézy on Marne'') is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. 2009 flood The town was hit by a flash flood and mudslide on 14 June 2009 after a violent localised storm. Cars ...

. 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 ...

André Barsacq André Barsacq (24 January 1909 – 8 July 1973) was a French theatre director, producer, scenic designer, and playwright. From 1940 to 1973 he was the director of the Théâtre de l'Atelier. He was the brother of Russian production designer Lé ...

and

Jean Perrier Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jean ...

Cast

* Annie Vernay as Annie Beaumont *

as Rossignol, le châtelain * Fernand Charpin as Beaumont, le maire * Dorville as Rodillar, le braconnier *

Pierre Larquey Pierre Larquey (10 July 1884 – 17 April 1962) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1913 and 1962. Born in Cénac, Gironde, France, he died in Maisons-Laffitte at the age of 77. Selected filmography * ''P ...

as Fabien, l'huissier *

Pierre Labry Pierre Labry (1885–1948) was a French stage actor, stage and film actor.Capua p.122 He was active in the French film industry between 1920 and 1948, appearing in more than a hundred films. Selected filmography * ''La croisade'' (1920) * ''Gigo ...

as Rameau, le coiffeur *

Noël Roquevert Noël Roquevert (born Noël Louis Raymond Bénévent; 18 December 1892 – 6 November 1973) was a French stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1932 and 1972. Roquevert was born in Doué-la-Fontaine and was married ...

as Le garde-champêtre *

Palmyre Levasseur Palmyre Levasseur (24 December 1888 – 4 August 1963) was a French stage and film actress.Aping p.234 Selected filmography * '' Culprit'' (1937) * '' The Fraudster'' (1937) * ''Tricoche and Cacolet'' (1938) * ''The Postmaster's Daughter'' (1938) ...

as Mme Rossignol *

Georges Douking Georges Douking (born Georges Ladoubée; 6 August 1902 – 20 October 1987) was a French stage, film, and television actor. He also directed stage plays such as the premier presentation of Jean Giraudoux's ''Sodom and Gomorrah'' at the Théâtr ...

as Brazoux *

Mady Berry Mady Berry (14 October 1887 – 18 January 1965) was a French stage and film actress.Waldman p.146 Selected filmography * '' Gloria'' (1931) * '' All That's Not Worth Love'' (1931) * '' Moon Over Morocco'' (1931) * '' The Girl and the Boy'' (193 ...

as Maria *

Jean Pâqui Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jean ...

as Pierre Rossignol *

Marguerite Pierry Marguerite Pierry (26 December 1887, Paris – 20 January 1963, Paris) was a French actress. Selected filmography * ''On purge bébé'' (1931) * '' Adémaï in the Middle Ages'' (1935) * '' Paris Camargue'' (1935) * '' The Two Boys'' (1936) * ...

as Madame Fabien * Florian as Le gendarme *

Léon Larive Léon François Larive (28 June 1886 – 20 July 1961) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 90 films between 1923 and 1961. Selected filmography * '' Two Timid Souls'' (1928) * '' The Great Passion'' (1928) * '' La Passion de ...

as Le cafetier *

Marcel Pérès Marcel Pérès (born 15 July 1956, Oran, Algeria) is a French musicologist, composer, choral director and singer, and the founder of the early music group Ensemble Organum. He is an authority on Gregorian and pre-Gregorian chant. Pérès was ...

as Tartagnac *

Jean Sinoël Jean Sinoël (13 August 1868 – 30 August 1949), often known simply as Sinoël, was a French actor and singer. Born Jean Léonis Blès in Sainte-Terre, Gironde, France, he died in Paris in 1949. Selected filmography * '' Captain Craddock'' (193 ...

as Le père Labiche *

Paul Villé Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo P ...

as Le chef de gare

References

Bibliography

* Bessy, Maurice & Chirat, Raymond. ''Histoire du cinéma français: 1935-1939''. Pygmalion, 1986. * Crisp, Colin. ''Genre, Myth and Convention in the French Cinema, 1929-1939''. Indiana University Press, 2002. * Rège, Philippe. ''Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Volume 1''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1939 films French war drama films 1939 drama films 1930s French-language films French black-and-white films 1930s French films Films directed by Raymond Bernard Nero-Film films Films shot at Billancourt Studios Films shot in Aisne French World War I films {{1930s-France-film-stub