''Thérèse Étienne'' is a 1958

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

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

Denys de La Patellière Denys de La Patellière (8 March 1921 in Nantes, France – 21 July 2013) was a French film director and scriptwriter. He also directed Television series. He died in 2013 at the age of 92. Biography The son of an officer, Denys de La Patell ...

, and starring

James Robertson Justice James Robertson Justice (15 June 1907 – 2 July 1975) was a British actor. He often portrayed pompous authority figures in comedies, including each of the seven films in the ''Doctor'' series. He also co-starred with Gregory Peck in seve ...

Françoise Arnoul Françoise Arnoul (born Françoise Annette Marie Mathilde Gautsch; 3 June 1931 – 20 July 2021) was a French actress who achieved popularity during the 1950s. Early life Born in Constantine, French Algeria, the daughter of stage actres ...

, and

Pierre Vaneck Pierre Vaneck (born Pierre Auguste Van Hecke; 15 April 1931 – 31 January 2010) was a French people, French actor. During his career, he won a Molière Award in 1988 and received a César Award nomination in 2009. Biography Son of a Belgian ar ...

.BFI.org
/ref> It was based on a 1939 novel by

John Knittel John Knittel, originally Hermann Emanuel Knittel (March 24, 1891 in Dharwar, India – April 26, 1970 in Maienfeld, Graubünden) was a Swiss writer. Life John Knittel was the son of a Württemberg missionary, Hermann Wilhelm Knittel, who was in ...

. 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 ...

Paul-Louis Boutié. 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

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

Synopsis

A young French woman marries an older businessman, but soon becomes involved with his son.

Plot

In Switzerland, Thérèse Étienne, a 25-year-old peasant woman, arrives in the canton of Bern looking for work. She is hired as a servant on the farm of Anton Müller, who runs his estate with an iron fist. An imposing man in his fifties, Anton tirelessly pursues Thérèse. Faced with her resistance and eager to possess her at all costs, he takes her as his wife without further discussion. At the wedding, Thérèse meets Gottfried Müller, Anton's son from a previous marriage, and it is love at first sight. Exasperated by her husband's rudeness and drunkenness, Thérèse takes refuge in Gottfried's arms - and bed. When Anton discovers their affair and his wife's pregnancy by his son, he flies into such a rage that Thérèse, frightened and distraught, poisons and kills him. Gottfried, overcome with remorse, accuses himself of the crime. At her trial, Thérèse reveals the truth to the court. She is convicted, and her son is born in prison.

Cast

as Anton Muller *

as Thérèse Étienne Muller *

as Gottfried Muller *

Guy Decomble Guy Decomble (1910–1964) was a French film and television actor. A character actor he played in a number of supporting parts in postwar cinema. One of his better known roles is as the teacher in ''The 400 Blows'' by François Truffaut.Paietta p ...

as Rothlisberger *

Georges Chamarat Georges Chamarat (30 March 1901 – 21 November 1982) was a French actor. He appeared in more than 100 films and television shows between 1929 and 1981. He starred in the film '' The Adventures of Arsène Lupin'', which was entered into the ...

as Le Président de la Cour * François Chaumette as Le procureur * Roger Burckhardt as Le prêtre *

Pierre Collet Pierre Collet (10 March 1914 – 30 October 1977) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films and television shows between 1943 and 1977. Selected filmography * '' Goodbye Leonard'' (1943) – Le marchand d'habits (uncred ...

as L'avocat *

Léonce Corne Léonce Charles Corne (18 March 1894 – 31 December 1977) was a French film actor. He appeared in 120 films between 1931 and 1974. Selected filmography * '' The Girl and the Boy'' (1931) * ''Luck'' (1931) * '' Rouletabille the Aviator'' ( ...

as Le notaire * Erika Dentzler as Hedwige

References

Bibliography

* Jean A. Gili & Aldo Tassone. ''Parigi-Roma: 50 anni di coproduzioni italo-francesi (1945-1995)''. Editrice Il castoro, 1995.

External links

* 1958 films 1958 drama films French drama films Italian drama films 1950s French-language films Films directed by Denys de La Patellière Films based on Swiss novels Films based on works by John Knittel Films set in Switzerland Films set in the Alps Films with screenplays by Roland Laudenbach Films shot at Billancourt Studios 1950s French films 1950s Italian films Films scored by Maurice Thiriet French-language drama films {{1950s-France-film-stub