Aventure malgache (1944)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writer:

Jules Francois Clermont (story)

Genre:

Short | War

Plot:

The Moliere players are in their dressing room, getting ready to go on set. One actor mentions to another...

Plot Keywords:

Meta Story | Propaganda | WWII | Public Domain | Spy

Cast

Paul Bonifas	...	Michel - Chef de la Sureté (as The Molière Players)
Paul Clarus	...	Paul Clarus (as The Molière Players)
Jean Dattas	...	Man behind Michel, reading a telegram (as The Molière Players)
Andre Frere	...	Pierre (as The Molière Players)
Guy Le Feuvre	...	General (as Molière Players)
Paulette Preney	...	Yvonne (as The Molière Players)

Also Known As:

Alfred Hitchcock's Aventure malgache
Madagascar Landing

Runtime:

30 min | USA:32 min (DVD) (1999)

Country:

UK

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-3 (2006) | UK:PG | Argentina:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Associated British Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Ministry of Information

Trivia:

Alfred Hitchcock did not make his customary cameo appearance in Aventure malgache (1944) nor did he in his other short propaganda war film Bon Voyage (1944).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cinemania (2002)

Propaganda, instruction and some entertainment

In wartime with such a shortage of resources, short films made in the French language in Britain in 1944 were undoubtedly made for very distinct purposes. In this situation Hitchcock evidently put his talents entirely at the disposal of the powers that be but, in the absence of concrete information, we can only guess what those purposes were.

In common with "Bon Voyage" - the other of the two films Hitch shot in the French language during the war - the intended audience was Vichy France and the Vichy controlled French colonies (the film is set in Madagascar). Overall they were propaganda films, intended for the French resistance. Each is to some extent instructional particularly warning of pitfalls resistance members could fall into. Here the main character is imprisoned by the Vichy authorities and finds that a defence lawyer has been provided for him. The defence lawyer asks for full details of the man's resistance activities so that he can better defend him. The main character immediately realises that the lawyer is working for the authorities and there solely to extract incriminating information. Noticeable too are the many references to Britain's role in supporting the Resistance - presumably an important part of the film's message.

Overall the film quite slick, pacy and good humoured. Other propaganda elements are not so obvious although presumably the main character's bravery, spirit, wiliness along with his undoubted patriotism (like Petain, a hero of the Battle of Verdun in WW1, indeed known to Petain but having chosen resistance rather than collaboration) perhaps offered something of a role model for the audience. The key line must have been "The greatness of a country is measured by the spirit of its people". Given the reality of occupation and collaboration, "spirit" was one thing that nevertheless could remain undimmed, that national honour could still be fought for and could still be saved.

Interestingly both films were small projects and that it was other directors who handled the now iconic wartime productions.