Jour de fête (1949)

Director:

Jacques Tati

Writers:

Jacques Tati (writer) and
Henri Marquet (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 May 1949 (France)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Once a year the fair comes for one day to the little town 'Sainte-Severe-sur-Indre'. All inhabiters are scoffing at Francois...

Plot Keywords:

Bicycle | French | Postman | Mail | France

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

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

Directed by
Jacques Tati

Writing credits
Jacques Tati		(writer) and
Henri Marquet		(writer)
René Wheeler		(writer)

Produced by
Michel Chauvin	....	delegate producer (1995 color version)
Fred Orain	....	producer
André Paulvé	....	producer
Pierre Tati	....	assistant delegate producer (1995 color version)

Original Music by
Jean Yatove

Cinematography by
Jacques Mercanton
Jacques Sauvageot

Film Editing by
Marcel Morreau
Sophie Tatischeff		(1995 color version)

Set Decoration by
René Moulaert

Costume Design by
Jacques Cottin

Art Department
André Pierdel	....	property master

Sound Department
Xavier Bonneyrat	....	assistant sound editor
Saveria Deloire	....	sound editor (1995 color version)
Thomas Lefèvre	....	sound editor (1995 color version)
Jacques Maumont	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Isabelle Plazanet	....	digital restoration (1995 color version)
Yves Tulli	....	digital restoration (1995 color version)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean Castagnier	....	assistant camera (as Castagnier)
Nicolas Citovitch	....	assistant camera (as Citovich)
Marcel Franchi	....	camera operator
André Marquette	....	assistant camera (as Marquete)
Roger Moride	....	assistant camera (as Moride)
Jean Mousselle	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Pierre Berlot	....	color timer (1995 color version)
Benjamin Bleton	....	assistant editor (1995 color version)
Camille Laurenti-Ede	....	assistant editor (1995 color version)

Other crew
Christian Ange	....	restoration (1995 color version) (as Christian Angé)
Frédéric Grosjean	....	restoration (1995 color version)
Djibrill Kane	....	restoration (1995 color version)
Franck Le Dû	....	restoration (1995 color version)
Laurent Legrendre	....	restoration (1995 color version)
Pierre-Jean Lievaux	....	restoration (1995 color version)
Virginie Marion	....	restoration (1995 color version)
Aline Montel	....	restoration (1995 color version)
Sarah Postec	....	restoration (1995 color version)
Michel Richard	....	restoration (1995 color version)

Thanks
Gerard Alaux	....	thanks (1995 color version)
Michelle Aubert	....	thanks (1995 color version)
Claude Cadet	....	thanks (1995 color version)
Jean Mousselle	....	thanks (1995 color version)
Jacques Pasquet	....	thanks (1995 color version)
André Pierdel	....	thanks (1995 color version)
Pierre-Jean Thevon	....	thanks (1995 color version)
Claude Ventura	....	thanks (1995 color version)

Production Companies

• Cady Films
• Panoramic Films

Distributors

• DisCina (1949) (France) (theatrical)
• Arthur Mayer-Edward Kingsley (1952) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• British Film Institute (BFI) (2003) (UK) (theatrical) (b&w remastered)
• Gala Films (1997) (UK) (theatrical) (color version)
• Helsinki-Filmi (1960) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Meteor Film Productions (1955) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (as Meteor Film)
• Nederland NV (1949) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Rosebud (1995) (Greece) (theatrical) (color version)
• UGC Distribution (1995) (France) (theatrical) (color version)
• Valio-Filmi (1978) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• DVD Vidéo (1999) (France) (DVD)
• Future Film (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2004) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1985) (1987) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

70 min | Argentina:80 min (Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema) | Germany:79 min | Finland:86 min (1960) | 79 min (restored version)

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

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

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Portugal:M/6 | Australia:G | Netherlands:AL (original rating) (1949) | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | Germany:6 (nf) (w) | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre, Indre, France

Company:

Cady Films

Trivia:

Many of the gags in this movie were previously used nearly identically in The School for Postmen (1947).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Very Long Engagement (2004)

A feast for the eye

When I first saw this film I was amazed by its simplicity but also surprised by its competence. Its a cheerful and really funny piece of a great French actor and director, with some fine and really original scenes in it. This comic masterpiece about a day in a picturesque little French village, in which the postman Francois is being followed, on his daily tour, when a carnival is taking place. The speed of the modern way of life is brilliantly compared by the typical easy calm French way. Francois symbolizes this old way by doing everything slow and wrong on and off his bicycle. The little but creative stunts are really figured out for that time and are inspired by Buster Keaton and have a little touch of Chaplin in them.

The uniqueness of the film is that the story is creating itself. As the day follows we get to know the village and it's inhabitants and we are also learn a small lesson by a little old lady with a goat.

Surely a must see!