La cage aux rossignols (1945)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Jean Dréville

Writers:

Georges Chaperot (story)
Noël-Noël (adaptation)

Release Date:

1947 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Plot Keywords:

Actor Shares First Name With Character

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Noël-Noël	...	Clément Mathieu
Micheline Francey	...	Micheline
Georges Biscot	...	Raymond
René Génin	...	Le père Maxence
René Blancard	...	Monsieur Rachin
Marguerite Ducouret	...	La mère de Micheline
Marcelle Praince	...	La présidente
Marthe Mellot	...	Marie
Georges Paulais	...	Monsieur Langlois
André Nicolle	...	Monsieur de la Frade
Richard Francoeur	...	Monsieur de Mézères
Jean Morel	...	Le directeur
Roger Vincent	...	L'académicien
Michel François	...	Laquerec
Roger Krebs	...	Laugier

Also Known As:

A Cage of Nightingales

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Société Nouvelle des Établissements Gaumont (SNEG)

Movie Connections:

Remade as Les choristes (2004)

Enjoyable family film extolling kindness over discipline

We've seen the plot a gazillion times (unruly children in a boarding school type of setting under rigid discipline, act out and are tamed by new teacher with principles of kindness). Why, even Julie Andrews got to do this on a modest level in THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

The tale is told mainly in flashback. Since it is an extremely rare film stateside and it's taken me forty years to track it down, I'll summarize the story here.

Clement is an out of work writer, trying to get his novelette sold. His girlfriend's (Martine) mother disapproves of the liaison. Clement's friend, Raymond, works as a concierge/gofer in a newspaper office. He tries to get Clement's story (LA CAGE AUX ROSSIGNOLS) printed but the editor ignores it. When the editor approves a story with a similar title (LA CAGE AUX VERRES)for publication, Raymond switches the story, it is printed and is a hit. At this point Martine starts reading the story to her slowly tolerant mother and we enter flashback 18 minutes into the film. The flashback takes up the final hour.

Clement comes to a reform school to teach and finds the boys out of control under the supervision of a martinet. One has damaged the porter's eye with a prank. By treating the boys as adults and validating them, he wins them over into model pupils. He even brings the prankster to remorse for his actions. The boys learn to love Clement and behave for him. When he discovers accidentally that they have naturally beautiful voices, he organizes them into a choir which pleases the trustees of the school. He eventually leaves in a touching farewell.

Back to the present and the boys all surprise him by singing for him at his wedding, including a lad who rejected the group but whom Clement eventually won over.

This is all nicely done - the direction is solid, the film well-paced, the performers all likeable. Not a great film by any means but a very pleasant one. Micheline Francey who plays Martine is lovely but Noel-Noel, a popular French star and homely as almost all of their male stars were, does an okay job in a role seemingly meant for Jean Gabin.

If this was the first film to use this plot device then I would agree with its Oscar nomination for Best Original Story. If not, then not. The music is well done. Worth a look.