Mam'zelle Nitouche (1931)
Directed by Marc Allégret

Film Review

Having worked with Robert Florey on Le Blanc et le noir (1931) and Augusto Genina on Les Amours de minuit (1931) Marc Allégret ventured his first solo effort as a director with this hectic adaptation of a popular stage musical by Henri Meilhac and Albert Millaud.  Although it is competently directed, Mam'zelle Nitouche is far from being Allégret's most distinguished film offering - 1930s French farce with ineptly crowbarred-in musical numbers is now a horribly dated formula - but it gave the director's favourite actor, Raimu, ample opportunity to prove himself as a comic performer.  Raimu was rarely as funnier as he is in this film and his lively performance breathes life into the dusty old farce on which it is based.  André Alerme is equally amusing as the easily offended major whom Raimu frequently cuckolds, at the cost of receiving a well-timed (and thoroughly well-deserved) boot up the posterior.

Another notable name in the cast is Janie Marèse, who is best known for her leading role in Jean Renoir's La Chienne (1931).  Marèse's vitality and talent as an actress, dancer and singer are all very much in evidence in Mam'zelle Nitouche, making her death in a car accident a few months before the film's release all the more tragic.  Renoir also appears in the film in an uncredited minor role, as do Edwige Feuillère, Viviane Romance and Simone Simon, right at the start of their illustrious screen careers.  Twenty-three years later, Marc Allégret's younger brother Yves directed a big budget colour remake of the film, with comic icon Fernandel cast in the lead role.

Film Synopsis

1880, a garrison town in France.  Not content with being an organist at a convent, Célestin composes comic operas in his spare time under the name Floridor.  His secret is discovered by one of the boarders at the convent, Denise de Flavigny.  It so happens that on the opening night of his latest opera Célestin must accompany Denise to town to meet her future husband.  Denise escapes with the help of a young officer, Lieutenant La Vauzelle, not realising that he is her intended husband.  Meanwhile, Célestin finds himself in trouble when his mistress and leading lady Corinne walks out on his latest production.  Fortunately, Denise is more than willing to step into the breach, but the night's adventures are far from over...