With a Smile (film)

1936 film

4 December 1936 (1936-12-04)

Running time

98 minutesCountryFranceLanguageFrench

With a Smile (French: Avec le sourire) is a 1936 French comedy film directed by Maurice Tourneur and based on an original screenplay by Louis Verneuil. The film stars Maurice Chevalier and the title of the film is taken from one of his comic songs "With a Smile" (Avec le Sourire, 1907).^[1]

It was shot at the Joinville Studios in Paris. The film's sets were designed by the art directors Lucien Carré and Émile Duquesne.

Plot

A smooth talking but penniless vagrant (Maurice Chevalier) arrives in Paris and sets out to make it to the top with nothing more than his smile, charm and cunning mind.

Cast

Maurice Chevalier as Victor Larnois
Marie Glory as Gisèle Berthier
André Lefaur as Ernest Villary, le propriétaire du "Palace"
Paule Andral as Valentine Villary, son épouse
Marcel Vallée as Pascaud
Léon Arvel as Templier
Marcel Simon as Fromentel, le directeur des Beaux-Arts
Rivers Cadet as Albert, le chasseur du "Palace"
Nicole de Rouves as l'épouse d'Albert
Léon Morton as le maître d'école
Milly Mathis as la caissière du "Palace"
Jean Gobet as Bruzin
Henri Houry as l'entraîneur
Viviane Gosset as Suzy Dorfeuil, la vedette du "Palace"
Lucien Callamand as Vauclin
Jean Aymé as le duc de Ganges
Anthony Gildès as le baron Wurtz
Simone Sandre as la dactylo
Georges Bever as le valet de pied
Vincent Hyspa as le président du tribunal
Robert Ozanne as un invité à la noce
Georgé as Genneval
Léon Morton as le maître d'école
Robert Ozanne as un invité à la noce
Rivers Cadet as le chasseur
Eugène Stuber as l'amant de la femme du chasseur
Jean Témerson as Cam

References

^ Rae Beth Gordon Dances with Darwin, 1875-1910: Vernacular Modernity in France 2009 "In 1907, when Maurice Chevalier was still an Idiot Comic, he performed the comic monologue and song, "With a Smile," in which his usual grimaces and poses are combined with fantasies of Africa: "Strolling along in Africa one day, I was ..."