Under the Roofs of Paris (1930)
"Sous les toits de Paris" (original title)

Albert is smitten for Pola but ends up wrongly committed in jail, in the meantime her affections are sort after by his friend, and on his release both love and friendship must be tested.

Director:

René Clair

Writer:

René Clair

Stars:

Albert Préjean, Pola Illéry, Edmond T. Gréville

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Albert Préjean	...	Albert, a young street singer
Pola Illéry	...	Pola, a Roumanian girl
Edmond T. Gréville	...	Louis, Albert's friend
Bill Bocket	...	Bill, The Big Boss
Gaston Modot	...	Fred, a purse thief
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Raymond Aimos	...	Un gars du milieu
Thomy Bourdelle	...	François, the other thief
Paul Ollivier	...	Drunkard
Jane Pierson	...	Fat Woman with Purse

Storyline

While singing in a lower class quarter in Paris, the street singer Albert falls in love with the Romanian party girl Pola, who is the companion of the gangster Fred. One night, Albert meets with Pola, who has just found that Fred had stolen her key, and his friend Louis proposes to toss to date her. However, Albert brings her to his room and they spend the night together, with Albert sleeping on the floor and Pola on his bed. Early in the morning, the pickpocket Émile brings a bag with stolen pieces and asks Albert to keep the bag for him. When the police busts Albert's room and finds the stolen goods, he is arrested and sent to jail. Meanwhile Fred travels and Pola seeks comfort with Louis, and they stay together. When Émile is arrested by the police, he confesses that Albert is innocent and he is released and seeks out Pola. Meanwhile Fred returns to Paris and also seeks out Pola that is with Louis. The three men that are under the spell of the gorgeous lady dispute her love and ...

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Plot Keywords:

france | working class | talkie | tenement | place name in title | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French Romanian

Release Date:

2 January 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

Under the Roofs of Paris

Company Credits

Production Co:

Films Sonores Tobis

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Tobis Klangfilm) Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Across the films original posters it read "All Talking! All Singing!", this was false advertisement as the film was only partial to both and still used the, then, film techniques of silent cinema too.

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Quotes

Albert, a young street singer: [On seeing Pola bedding down on his bedroom floor] Okay, take the bed, I'll sleep on the floor.

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Connections

Featured in Fejezetek a film történetéböl: A francia lírai realizmus (1989)

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Soundtracks

"Sous les toits de Paris"
Written by René Clair, Raoul Moretti and Rene Nazalles
Sung by Albert Préjean

User Reviews

this film shows a true relationship, no matter how messed up it can be.

--- this film changed my views on b&w, i first saw this when i was a wee lass of 13, awkward and shy, all i had to do with myself was watch late- night t.v. i cried so hard at the end of the film i thought for sure i'd wake my mum, thank god CBC showed it again not long after that, and like the big geek i was, and probably still am, i taped it, i liked the rawness of it, the sound wasn't very good, but it didn't matter, still doesn't, i would love to make a movie that has this same feeling the absolut "realness" i dislike the crud hollywood keeps churning out, but , the fact remains that i live in this time, and am almost forced to swallow the disgraceful porridge that is cinema. it's christmas day, i think i'll go slip on my "under the rooftops of paris" and dream of a time when film still had a heart!!