La vie de bohème (1945)

Director:

Marcel L'Herbier

Writers:

Robert Boissy (dialogue)
Nino Frank (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

17 October 1945 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Saxophone | Late Rent | Governor | Death Of Girlfriend | Artist

Cast

María Denis	...	Mimi / Mimì (as Maria Denis)
Louis Jourdan	...	Rodolphe / Rodolfo
Giselle Pascal	...	Musette
Alfred Adam	...	Alexandre Schaunard
Louis Salou	...	Colline
André Roussin	...	Marcel / Marcello
Jean Parédès	...	Le vicomte / Il visconte
Sinoël	...	Barbemuche
Suzy Delair	...	Phémie - la blanchisseuse / Femia
Léon Larive		(as Larive)
Gaston Orbal		(as Orbal)
Lucien Callamand		(as Callamand)
Marguerite Ducouret
Roland Toutain
Roger Blin
Félix Oudart		(as Oudard)
Albert Gercourt		(as Gercourt)
Guillaume de Sax
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marcel André	...	(uncredited)
Jean Barrère	...	(uncredited)
Raymond Carrel	...	(uncredited)
Jean d'Yd	...	(uncredited)
Lucienne Galopaud	...	Une prostituée / Una prostituta (uncredited)
Pierre Juvenet	...	(uncredited)
Lucy Lancy	...	(uncredited)
Roland Pégurier	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Marcel L'Herbier

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robert Boissy		dialogue
Nino Frank		adaptation
Henri Murger		novel (as Henry Murger)
Pierre Rocher		dialogue (uncredited)

Produced by
André Paulvé	....	producer

Cinematography by
Pierre Montazel

Film Editing by
Suzanne Catelain		(as Catelain)
Émilienne Nelissen		(as Nelissen)

Production Design by
Georges Wakhévitch		(as Wakevitch)

Costume Design by
Jacques Costet		(as J. Costet)

Production Management
A. Aulois	....	unit manager
Pierre Sabas	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert-Paul Dagan	....	assistant director (as R.P. Dagan)
Jean Laviron	....	assistant director (as J. Laviron)

Sound Department
Jacques Carrère	....	sound (as Carrère)
Émile Lagarde	....	sound (as Lagarde)

Camera and Electrical Department
G.R. Aldo	....	still photographer (as Aldo)

Music Department
Louis Beydts	....	music adaptor

Other crew
Louise Conte	....	voice dubbing: Maria Denis (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Invicta Film
• Scalera Film S.p.a.

Distributors

• DisCina (1945) (France) (theatrical)
• Oefram Filmgesellschaft (1948) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Superfilm Distributing Corporation (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• A. Leoni

Also Known As:

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Studios de la Victorine - 16 avenue Edoard Grinda, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

Invicta Film

Movie Connections:

Version of La Bohème (1986) (TV)

The four seasons

Based on the opera's libretto ,the screenplay suffers for it:as it is not sung,except for one song ,the story is sometimes hard to follow ,although it's very slow;for instance ,in the opera ,Rodolfo (Rodolphe) sings his pain when he learns that Mimi is terminally-ill:here he tells it to his friends much to the audience's surprise (for they hardly heard Mimi cough once before,and that's it).It was reportedly based on the novel which inspired the opera but the narration is not really satisfying anyway.

The story is divided into four parts:the four seasons,from Spring to Winter.

Spring introduces the characters:all are artists (painters,musicians,poets...) ,all are bound for glory ,these are the salad days ,the youth.C'est La Vie de Bohême,the bohemian life.The best scene shows Mimi and Rodolphe in Les Jardins Du Luxembourg ,the happiest part of their relationship.

Summer brings the Revolution,probably the 1848 one,although the movie remains extremely vague for that matter.Rodolphe ,the poet ,is very disappointed cause nobody wants to publish his lines.

Autumn (Fall) is the beginning of the bad days.The pals have nothing to burn in their fireplace "except themselves" .Mimi has left Rodolphe for she does not want to be a burden for him.

Winter :as the snow flies,the friends celebrate Christmas ;Mimi has become a supported woman;she's dying and she's still in love with Rodolphe.

Louis Jourdan,the most handsome French actor of the era, is the stand-out;Maria Denis who plays Mimi was nearing 30 at the time and was already too old for her part.Supporting cast includes such first-class thespians as Louis Salou and Suzy Delair.

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