Jour de Fete (1949)
"Jour de fête" (original title)

Once a year the fair comes for one day to the little town 'Sainte-Severe-sur-Indre'. All inhabiters are scoffing at Francois, the postman, what he seems not to recognize. The rising of the ... See full summary »

Director:

Jacques Tati

Writers:

Jacques Tati, Henri Marquet,

Stars:

Jacques Tati, Guy Decomble, Paul Frankeur

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Jacques Tati	...	François, le facteur
Guy Decomble	...	Roger
Paul Frankeur	...	Marcel
Santa Relli	...	Germaine
Maine Vallée	...	Jeannette
Robert Balpo	...	Le châtelain
Delcassan	...	La commère
Jacques Beauvais	...	Le cafetier
Valy	...	Edith
Roger Rafal	...	Le coiffeur
Alexandre Wirtz

Storyline

Once a year the fair comes for one day to the little town 'Sainte-Severe-sur-Indre'. All inhabiters are scoffing at Francois, the postman, what he seems not to recognize. The rising of the flagstaff under his direction nearly leads into a catastrophy - but everybody tells him, how important his work is. Sneering up Francois continues in the evening of the festive day. Made drunk, some 'friends' persuade him to watch a short-movie in a tent. This film is a stunt-show, covered as 'The modern delivery-techniques of the US-post. Francois takes it serious, not recognizing being teased. Next day, after getting sober in a goods wagon, he reorganizes his own delivery-methods. He has not the equipment, as his ideals in the short-movie have, but using only his bicycle, he makes good, funny progresses.

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Plot Keywords:

bicycle | french | postman | mail | mailman | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

11 May 1949 (France)

Also Known As:

Holiday

Filming Locations:

Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre, Indre, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cady Films, Panoramic Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min 80 min (Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema) 86 min (1960) 79 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (original release) Color (Thomsoncolor) (alternate version, first released after restoration in 1995)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many of the gags in this movie were previously used nearly identically in The School for Postmen.

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Crazy Credits

Alexandre Wirtz has an actor credit in black and white version only.

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Connections

Referenced in A Very Long Engagement (2004)

User Reviews

silent film lives on

A wholly enjoyable film, in which dialogue is incidental to the visual effect. I preferred black and white over colorized, and the French version over the slightly edited US version (with subtitles and the addition of an annoying artist who participates in colorizing). The real joy is watching Tati. Underneath all the great gags stirs the soul of the postman: officious, determined, mulelike. All expressed without words by a mustachioed rail of a man poised delicately on a bicycle. I was glad to see in the credits that La Poste had sponsored the restoration of the film. A French national treasure.