Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)

Director:

Michael Gordon

Writers:

Edmond Rostand (play)
Brian Hooker (play)

Release Date:

16 November 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Fabulous Hero! Famous Nose!

Plot:

The charismatic swordsman-poet helps another woo the woman he loves in this straightforward version of the play.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Nose | France | Deception | Unrequited Love

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

José Ferrer	...	Cyrano de Bergerac
Mala Powers	...	Roxane
William Prince	...	Christian de Neuvillette
Morris Carnovsky	...	Le Bret
Ralph Clanton	...	Antoine Comte de Guiche
Lloyd Corrigan	...	Ragueneau
Virginia Farmer	...	Duenna
Edgar Barrier	...	Cardinal (Richelieu)
Elena Verdugo	...	Orange Girl
Albert Cavens	...	Vicomte de Valvert
Arthur Blake	...	Montfleury
Don Beddoe	...	The Meddler
Percy Helton	...	Bellerose
Virginia Christine	...	Sister Marthe
Gil Warren	...	Doctor

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Trivia:

Stanley Kramer put the film into production as a substitute for the script he had been developing, High Noon (1952), which became bogged down with copyright issues.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the film's opening scene, after Cyrano starts to leave the theatre along with the others, Roxane bids good night to DeGuiche and Valvert and seems to exit, but moments later she is seen watching Cyrano's duel in the theatre. We never see her re-enter.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Montfleury: Thrice happy he who hides from pomp and power/ In sylvan shade or or solitary bower/ Where balmy zephyrs fan his burning cheeks...
Cyrano de Bergerac: Clown! King of Clowns! Leave the stage at once!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Three's Company: Cyrano de Tripper (#2.8)" (1977)

Striking performance from José Ferrer

"Cyrano de Bergerac" is based on the play by Edmond Rostand about a swordsman and poet with a long nose who helps another man to win the woman he loves. The film's story is an abridged version of the play based on the famous English translation from Brian Hooker.

José Ferrer is excellent in the title role as Cyrano de Bergerac. He handles all aspects of the character well, from the sharp poetic dialogue to the reluctance in conveying his feelings to Roxane. The rest of the performances were respectable as well, though clearly the title role requires the most acting ability.

This film is criticized for its minimalist sets. Admittedly they never bothered me, but at times the film was excessively dark, especially during the combat scenes toward the end of the film.

The story is abridged, but for me the essential components of the story were there with clever verse of Hooker's translation and the tragedy and humor of Rostand's story. The swordplay scenes are believable, though not exceptional other than for Cyrano's ability to fight and compose poetry simultaneously. "Cyrano de Bergerac" is a solid adaptation of Rostand's play best known for a striking performance from José Ferrer.