Knock (1951)

Saint-Maurice, an ordinary peaceful village, lived healthily so much so that the local doctor's practice was scant. But that was before Dr. Parpalaid retired and was replaced by a charlatan... See full summary »

Director:

Guy Lefranc

Writers:

Georges Neveux (adaptation), Jules Romains (dialogue),

Stars:

Louis Jouvet, Jean Brochard, Pierre Renoir

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Louis Jouvet	...	Docteur Knock
Jean Brochard	...	Docteur Albert Parpalaid
Pierre Renoir	...	Le pharmacien Mousquet
Pierre Bertin	...	L'instituteur Bernard
Marguerite Pierry	...	Mme Pons, la dame en violet
Jean Carmet	...	Le premier gars
Yves Deniaud	...	Le tambour de ville
Mireille Perrey	...	Mme Rémy
Jane Marken	...	Mme Parpalaid
Geneviève Morel	...	La dame en noir
Bernadette Lange	...	Mariette
André Dalibert	...	Le deuxième gars (as A. Dalibert)
Pierre Duncan	...	Le livreur
Paul Faivre	...	Le maire Michalon
Sylvain	...	Un chauffeur

Storyline

Saint-Maurice, an ordinary peaceful village, lived healthily so much so that the local doctor's practice was scant. But that was before Dr. Parpalaid retired and was replaced by a charlatan by the name of Knock. A real genius this one, for he soon managed to persuade everyone that they were ill. And not only didn't they resent him but they even loved their physician, who made a fortune and brought prosperity to the village by turning it into a big hospital.

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Plot Keywords:

remake | one word title | based on play | character name in title

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

21 March 1951 (France)

Also Known As:

Dr. Knock

Filming Locations:

Neauphle-Le-Château, Yvelines, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Productions Jacques Roitfeld

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording) Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

French censorship visa # 10767. The film was re-released in France in April 1968

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Connections

Remake of Knock, ou le triomphe de la médecine (1933)

User Reviews

One man show.

This is Louis Jouvet's triumph.The director could be anyone ,he does not exist here.All you've got to do is enjoy Louis Jouvet's fabulous intonations,subtle funny faces and extraordinary presence.

Jules Romain's famous play pits a charlatan against a whole village of healthy peasants .Believe it or not,in the short space of a few months,almost everyone's in bed ,"cured" by doctor Knock.The way Knock turns his patient into hypochondriacs is sheer genius.One could think that Knock's only in it for the money but it's not that simple:actually,he's crazy,and what's worse,a lot of people trust him and think he's the most sensible doctor they have ever known.The ending is not that much comic.The connection with Molière's "le malade imaginaire" is obvious.Human naivete knows no bounds.