Main Cast: Katharine Hepburn, Charles Boyer, Claude Dauphin, Edith Evans, Margaret Leighton, John Gavin
Release Year: 1969
Country: US/UK
Run Time: 142 minutes
Plot
Taken from the popular play by Jean Giraudoux, The Madwoman Of Chaillot has an international all-star cast, but the final result falls short despite the talents of the celebrated thespians. The madwoman in question is the extremely eccentric Countess Aurelia (Katherine Hepburn). Roderick (Richard Chamberlain) is the peace-loving activist who, along with a local rag picker (Danny Kaye), warns the Countess of a plot to destroy the city. A quartet of villains led by the Chairman (Yul Brynner) are after the oil reserves that bubble under the water supply. Along with the Broker (Charles Boyer), the Commissar (Oscar Homolka), and the Prospector (Donald Pleasence), the evil developers plan to secure the oil rights to the region with or without the consent of the unsuspecting public. The Countess invites Josephine (Dame Edith Evans) to judge the villains, who are locked in the Countess's cellar for their crimes against the people of Paris in this lethargic film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
Review
The Jean Giraudoux play upon which The Madwoman of Chaillot is based would be difficult to translate effectively to the screen under any circumstances; it is a strange and didactic but beguiling blend of whimsy, symbolism and fantasy, wrapped up in a delicate and fragile package. Still, writer Edward Anhalt and director Bryan Forbes could have come up with a more imaginative, lively and entertaining adaptation for the screen. Visually, Madwoman is an exquisite feast, from the marvelously ornate and off-beat costumes for the title character to the sumptuous Parisian settings to the gorgeous cinematography of Claude Renoir and Burnett Guffey, and it is the visuals that carry much of the film. Forbes seems to be somewhat at sea here, framing some scenes beautifully but not having any real idea of how to make the material take flight and soar. With few exceptions, his high-powered cast seems lost as to how to play the material, with the result that most of them turn in work that is much too heavy. Katharine Hepburn comes off poorly, never really making the character ring true, and all of the actors playing villains are stereotypical and arch. Richard Chamberlain is adequate, and Giuletta Masina has one or two good moments, but only Danny Kaye manages to find the right combination of charm and seriousness that the production demands. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Georges Petitot - Art Director, Rosine Delamare - Costume Designer, Bryan Forbes - Director, Roger Dwyre - Editor, Michael J. Lewis - Composer (Music Score), Monique Archambault - Makeup, Ray Simm - Production Designer, Burnett Guffey - Cinematographer, Claude Renoir - Cinematographer, Ely Landau - Producer, Henry T. Weinstein - Producer, Anthony B. Unger - Producer, Dario Simoni - Set Designer, Edward Anhalt - Screenwriter, Jean Giraudoux - Screenwriter, Jean Giraudoux - Play Author
The story is of a modern society endangered by power and greed and the rebellion of the "little people" against corrupt and soulless authority.
A group of four prominent men, The General (Paul Henreid), The Commissar (Oskar Homolka), The Chairman (Yul Brynner) and The Prospector (Donald Pleasence) discuss how they can increase their fortunes. The Prospector tells them that there is oil in the middle of Paris and they resolve to acquire the rights with or without the consent of the people of Paris. Countess Aurelia (Katharine Hepburn), the "madwoman" of the title, learns of this plan to drill for oil under the very streets of her district from Roderick (Richard Chamberlain) an activist and The Ragpicker (Danny Kaye). She enlists the help of her friends, a motley crew of "little people" who include the "madwomen" of neighbouring districts, Constance, the Madwoman of Passy (Margaret Leighton), Gabrielle, the Madwoman of St. Sulpice (Giulietta Masina). A trial takes place in the Countess' cellar presided over by Aurelia's friend Josephine (Edith Evans), the Madwoman of La Concorde as judge and the Ragpicker as the lawyer for the defence.
