France in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956

  • André Lodge
  • Rachèle Thoreau

"Il est là":
  • Simone Vallauris
Finals performanceFinal resultN/AFrance in the Eurovision Song Contest
1956 1957►

France debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956, held on 24 May 1956 at the Teatro Cursaal in Lugano, Switzerland. The French broadcaster RTF chose its two entries for the contest with the help of the radio program Le Palmarès de la chanson inédite. The songs "Le Temps perdu" and "Il est là" were selected to represent the nation. At the contest, they were performed by Mathé Altéry and Dany Dauberson, respectively.

Before Eurovision

According to TV listings magazine Télévision Programme Magazine, RTF used the radio program "Le palmarès de la chanson inédite" to choose the French entries for the Eurovision Song Contest 1956.[1] "Le palmarès de la chanson inédite" aired regularly on Saturday evenings on Programme parisien in 1956 and 1957.[1][2][3] The program was directed by Michel du Plessis and presented by Maurice Yvain and Louis Poterat, with an orchestra led by Franck Pourcel accompanying the artists.[3]

Of the two French songs chosen for the Eurovision Song Contest, "Il est là" can be retrieved in radio listings as participating in the program, in this case for the program aired on 5 May 1956, and sung by Marina Audrey.[4]

Programs of the season prior to Eurovision
Date Artists and songs Ref.
7 April 1956
  • Jean-Fred Mêlé – "Chanson pour Sylvie"
  • Hélène Romanée – "T'es dingue"
  • Jean-Pierre Dujay – "C‘est notre amour"
  • Germaine Duclos – "Pas la peine de s‘en faire"
[3]
14 April 1956
  • Rose Deshayes – "Un grand amour"
  • Aimée Doniat – "Les Démoiselles de Neuilly"
  • Wilma Nor – "La Chanteuse de blues"
  • Serge Reval – "Te souviens-tu ?"
[5]
21 April 1956
  • Germaine Duclos – "Pas d‘baratin"
  • Bob et Dyna – "Les Pêcheurs de Floride"
  • Jack Gauthier – "Oh ! la ! di ! hé !"
  • Laura Mellec – "Souvenirs"
[6]
28 April 1956
  • Danièle Georges – "Ta chanson, mon amour"
  • Jean Veldy – "Le Napolitain"
  • Françoise Guy – "Prends cette lettre"
  • Jacques Lambert – "Habits, Chiffons"
[7]
5 May 1956
  • Hélène Romanée – "Le Chapeau fleuri"
  • Roger Perrinoz – "Les Ponts du paradis"
  • Marina Audrey – "Il est là"
  • Jean-Pierre Hébrard – Déclaration légale
[4][8]
12 May 1956
  • Jean Lambert – "Alger la blanche"
  • Hélène Romanée – "La Pêche aux goujons"
  • Jack Gauthier – "Jojo le catcheur"
  • Nadia Dauty [fr] – "Ballade à Paris"
[9]
19 May 1956
  • Georgie Viennet [fr] – "Il n‘y a pas de bonheur sans nuages"
  • Maria Stella
  • Rose Deshayes – "Baïon frénétique"
  • Raymond Falgayrac – "Pour le meilleur et pour le pire"
[10]

"Le Temps perdu", written by André Lodge (music) and Rachèle Thoreau [fr] (lyrics), and "Il est là", written by Simone Vallauris, were chosen as the French entries.[1]

At Eurovision

Eurovision Song Contest 1956 took place at the Teatro Kursaal in Lugano, Switzerland, on 24 May 1956. "Le Temps perdu", sung by Mathé Altéry, was performed 5th at the contest and "Il est là", sung by Dany Dauberson, was performed 12th.[11] Both of the French entries were conducted by Franck Pourcel.[12]

Each country nominated two jury members who voted for their respective country by giving between one and ten points to each song, including those representing their own country.[13] One of the French jury members was Maurice Yvain.[14]

The full results of the contest were not revealed and have not been retained by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).[15] Eurovision Song Contest 1956 was televised in France on RTF with commentaries provided by Michelle Rebel.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Programmes de la télévision: Semaine du 20 au 26 Mai 1956". Télévision Programme Magazine (in French). Vol. 2, no. 30. 20 May 1956. pp. 14–15. OCLC 472721214.
  2. ^ "Le programme parisien saison 1956-1957". RadioScope (in French). Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Parisien". Radio Télévision 56 (in French). No. 597. 1 April 1956. p. 33. ISSN 1144-1224. OCLC 472571736.
  4. ^ a b "Parisien". Radio Télévision 56 (in French). No. 601. 29 April 1956. p. 33. ISSN 1144-1224. OCLC 472571736.
  5. ^ "Parisien". Radio Télévision 56 (in French). No. 598. 8 April 1956. p. 34. ISSN 1144-1224. OCLC 472571736.
  6. ^ "Parisien". Radio Télévision 56 (in French). No. 599. 15 April 1956. p. 34. ISSN 1144-1224. OCLC 472571736.
  7. ^ "Parisien". Radio Télévision 56 (in French). No. 600. 22 April 1956. p. 34. ISSN 1144-1224. OCLC 472571736.
  8. ^ "Parisien". Radio Cinéma Télévision (in French). No. 328. 29 April 1956. p. 34. ISSN 0481-5920. OCLC 474508236.
  9. ^ "Parisien". Radio Télévision 56 (in French). No. 602. 6 May 1956. p. 34. ISSN 1144-1224. OCLC 472571736.
  10. ^ "Parisien". Radio Télévision 56 (in French). No. 603. 13 May 1956. p. 33. ISSN 1144-1224. OCLC 472571736.
  11. ^ "Final of Lugano 1956 – Eurovision Song Contest". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  12. ^ Roxburgh, Gordon (2012). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Vol. One: The 1950s and 1960s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. pp. 97–99. ISBN 978-1-84583-065-6.
  13. ^ "Reglement du Grand Prix Eurovision 1956 de la Chanson Européenne (version définitive)" [Rules of the Grand Prix of the Eurovision Song Competition 1956 (final version)] (PDF) (in French). European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2016.
  14. ^ Robert, Emmanuel (March–April 1989). "Le Concours Eurovision de la chanson. Première partie : 1956–1970". Bulletin du comité d‘histoire de la télévision (in French) (19): 40. ISSN 0293-1397. OCLC 1072597352.
  15. ^ "Lugano 1956 – Eurovision Song Contest". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  • v
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Participation
Artists
Songs
  • "À chaque pas"
  • "Allez Ola Olé"
  • "L'Amour à la française"
  • "Autant d'amoureux que d'étoiles"
  • "La Belle amour"
  • "C'est le dernier qui a parlé qui a raison"
  • "Chacun pense à soi"
  • "Le Chant de Mallory"
  • "Chanteur de charme"
  • "Chez nous"
  • "Comé-comédie"
  • "Divine"
  • "Diwanit bugale"
  • "Dors, mon amour"
  • "Echo (You and I)"
  • "Elle était si jolie"
  • "L'Enfer et moi"
  • "Et bonjour à toi l'artiste"
  • "Et s'il fallait le faire"
  • "Européennes"
  • "Évidemment"
  • "Femme dans ses rêves aussi"
  • "Fulenn"
  • "Hé, hé M'sieurs dames"
  • "Humanahum"
  • "Il doit faire beau là-bas"
  • "Il est là"
  • "Il était temps"
  • "Il faut du temps"
  • "Il me donne rendez-vous"
  • "Il y aura toujours des violons"
  • "J'ai cherché"
  • "J'ai volé la vie"
  • "Un jardin sur la terre"
  • "Je n'ai que mon âme"
  • "Je suis l'enfant soleil"
  • "Je suis un vrai garçon"
  • "Je veux donner ma voix"
  • "Un jour, un enfant"
  • "Mama Corsica"
  • "Marie-Blanche"
  • "Mercy"
  • "Mon alliée (The Best in Me)"
  • "Mon amour"
  • "Monté la riviè"
  • "Monts et merveilles"
  • "Les Mots d'amour n'ont pas de dimanche"
  • "Moustache"
  • "N'avoue jamais"
  • "N'oubliez pas"
  • "L'Oiseau et l'Enfant"
  • "On aura le ciel"
  • "Où aller"
  • "Oui, oui, oui, oui"
  • "Un premier amour"
  • "Printemps, avril carillonne"
  • "Requiem"
  • "Roi"
  • "Sans toi"
  • "Sentiments songes"
  • "Sognu"
  • "La Source"
  • "Le Temps perdu"
  • "Tom Pillibi"
  • "Un, deux, trois"
  • "La Vie à vingt-cinq ans"
  • "Vivre"
  • "Voilà"
  • "White and Black Blues"
  • Note: Entries scored out signify where France did not compete
  • v
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Countries
Artists
Songs
  • "Amami se vuoi"
  • "Das alte Karussell"
  • "Les Amants de minuit"
  • "Aprite le finestre"
  • "Il est là"
  • "Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück"
  • "Messieurs les noyés de la Seine"
  • "Ne crois pas"
  • "Le Plus beau jour de ma vie"
  • "Refrain"
  • "So geht das jede Nacht"
  • "Le Temps perdu"
  • "De vogels van Holland"
  • "Voorgoed voorbij"