Main Cast: Gérard Philipe, Martine Carol, Gina Lollobrigida, Magali Vendeuil, Marilyn Buferd
Release Year: 1952
Country: IT/FR
Run Time: 87 minutes
Plot
Director René Clair insisted that his 1952 production Beauties of the Night (Les Belles du Nuit) was intended as a comic variation on Griffith's multipart Intolerance (1916). The Clair film deals with a disillusioned music teacher (Gérard Philipe) who dreams of the beautiful women of history, envisioning himself as the central male figure in each dream. The imaginary ladies (including such internationally famous lovelies as Martine Carol and Gina Lollobrigida) begin converging on the hero all at once, much to the delight of both Philipe and the audience. At several junctures, Clair revives a technique from his earliest talkies by having the characters sing their lines and thoughts rather than speaking them. These treasured musical moments are somewhat dissipated when Beauties of the Night is seen in an edited, redubbed American print -- which also "fudges" the film's notorious Gina Lollobrigida nude scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
An utterly charming little comedy, Les Belles de Nuit is a fine example of just how entertaining a piece of pure whimsy can be. Director/writer René Clair has produced a lovely film that is endlessly inventive, and filled with a joyousness that is contagious. That it exudes such a joyous feeling is odd, considering how unhappy its protagonist is; but somehow, Clair makes the audience feel happy even in the midst of the lead's melancholy. That he does this without dampening the viewer's sympathy with the character makes the feat even more remarkable. Clair clearly has a very enjoyable field day with Belles, reveling in the opportunity to jump freely from one time period to another, often doing so in a way that is visually delightful. The director also engages his fondness for sound as a major ingredient in film, utilizing both music and sound effects in a manner that adds significantly to Belles' success -- most obviously in the symphony's descent into chaos. The director is immeasurably aided by an excellent cast, including a tempting Gina Lollobrigida, a lovely Martine Carol, and a wonderfully appealing Magali Vendeuil. But it is star Gérard Philipe who deserves the highest acting accolades, turning in a deft comic performance that is totally charming and solidly anchoring a film which could easily fly too far off in its flights of fancy. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Raymond Cordy - Gaston; Raymond Bussières - Roger; Bernard Dheran; Bernard Lajarrige - Leon the policeman; Henri Marchand - Henri; Albert Michel - Postman; Jean Parédès - Paul, the pharmacist; Paolo Stoppa; Paul Demange; Palau - The Old Gentleman
