Mademoiselle Fifi (1944)
November 23, 2024 2:37 PM - Subscribe

In occupied France during the Franco-Prussian War, a young French laundress (Simone Simon) shares a coach ride with several of her condescending social superiors. But when a Prussian officer (derisively nicknamed "Mademoiselle Fifi") holds the coach over, social standings are leveled and integrity and spirit are put to the test. A Val Lewton production, based on two short stories by Guy de Maupassant, "Mademoiselle Fifi" and "Boule de Suif."

Also starring John Emery, Kurt Kreuger, Alan Napier, Helen Freeman, Jason Robards Sr., Norma Varden, Romaine Callender, Fay Helm, Edmund Glover.

Directed by Robert Wise. Screenplay by Josef Mischel, Peter Ruric, based on short stories by Guy de Maupassant. Produced by Val Lewton for RKO Radio Pictures. Cinematography by Harry J. Wild. Edited by J. R. Whittredge. Music by Werner R. Heymann.

"Boule de suif" also served as inspiration for John Ford's Stagecoach.

Not available to stream via conventional means, but it is downloadable very slowly via rarelust.com.
posted by DirtyOldTown (1 comment total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Far stronger than Lewton's other non-horror RKO production. The script is solid (if a little compressed). The sets looks pretty great for a $200K budget. Simone Simon operates in the same sphere of odd but undeniable charisma as in Cat People (even if, as there, she isn't really a great "actor"). The satire of middle-class capitulation to occupation and war crimes still hits. It's not a home run, but it is quite good, and at 70-ish minutes long, it's easy to forgive the moments where it isn't as sure-footed.

This was Robert Wise's first start-to-finish directing job, though he had also done the horrid reshoots/re-edit of Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons as well as picked up the reins of The Curse of the Cat People halfway through when Gunther von Fritsch was fired for being far behind schedule.

Cinematographer Harry J. Wild also had runs as both one of the preeminent DP's of US film noir (Murder, My Sweet) and as Jane Russell's chosen director of photography (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes).
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:43 PM on November 23


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