D'où viens-tu, Johnny? (1964)

User Rating:

4.3/10   

Director:

Noël Howard

Writers:

Yvan Audouard (writer)
Noël Howard (writer)

Release Date:

1964 (France)

Plot:

Johnny is a young musician in Paris, France. Besides he is enjoying life, he is always in need of money...

Plot Keywords:

Paris | Music | Question In Title | Character Name In Title

Cast

Johnny Hallyday	...	Johnny
Sylvie Vartan	...	Gigi
Évelyne Dandry	...	Magali Thibault
Pierre Barouh	...	Django
Fernand Sardou	...	Gustave, dit "Le Shérif"
Mick Besson	...	Fred
Jean-Jacques Debout
Pascal Duffard	...	Guardianou (as Jean-Pascal Duffard)
Jean Franval	...	L'ancien
André Pousse	...	M. Franck
Jean-Marie Rivière	...	Tardivet
Hélène Tossy	...	Madeleine Thibault
Henri Vilbert	...	Christophe Thibault
Daniel Cauchy	...	Marcel
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Monique LeMaire

Also Known As:

Where Are You From, Johnny? (International: English title)

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Company:

Hoche Productions

Stick to singing, Johnny!

Yet another of those 60s movies dedicated to parting pop fans from their money. This was a very poor vehicle for a couple of up-and-coming young singing stars, Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan. Whilst the standard of acting was undeniably far higher than anyone could have hoped for, the plot was weak and predictable, the screenplay pathetic, and the dialogue atrocious.

Johnny Hallyday in the lead rôle demonstrates an acting ability which eclipses the more accomplished performers in the cast, but the vapid supporting rôle assigned to his girlfriend (and later his wife) Sylvie Vartan would have challenged even Hollywood's greatest, and, no matter how great an actress she later turned to be, Mlle Vartan was not, at that age (she was a mere 17 years old at the time of filming this silly piece of nonsense), equal to the task.

The whole movie is really nothing more than an excuse to get teen heart-throb Johnny Hallyday on the screen, where his adoring teeny-bopper fans can swoon over his infectious grin (one which always reminds me of Peter Noone, he of Herman's Hermits fame). In those days, with no MTV, and no video clips to wow the adolescents, this is as good as it got. Quite frankly, Johnny should have stuck to singing. Or at least have held out for a real film with a real plot to showcase his undoubted talent.