Donkey Skin (1970) Peau d'âne (original title)

Director:

Jacques Demy

Writers:

Jacques Demy
Charles Perrault (fairy tale)

Release Date:

20 December 1970 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

Plot:

A fairy godmother helps a princess disguise herself so she won't have to marry a man she doesn't love.

Plot Keywords:

King | Princess | Prince | Donkey | Queen

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Catherine Deneuve	...	La princesse / 'Peau d'âne'
Jean Marais	...	Le premier roi (The King)
Jacques Perrin	...	Le prince charmant (The Prince)
Micheline Presle	...	La reine rouge, la seconde reine
Delphine Seyrig	...	La fée des lilas (The Fairy)
Fernand Ledoux	...	Le roi rouge, le seconde roi
Henri Crémieux	...	Le chef des médecins (The Doctor) (as Henri Cremieux)
Sacha Pitoëff	...	Le premier ministre (The Minister) (as Sacha Pitoeff)
Pierre Repp	...	Thibaud
Jean Servais	...	Le Récitant / Narrator (voice)
Georges Adet	...	Le savant
Annick Berger	...	Nicolette
Romain Bouteille	...	Le charlatan
Louise Chevalier	...	La vieille fermière
Sylvain Corthay	...	Godefroy
Michel Delahaye	...	Le second ministre
Simone Guisin	...	La duchesse Antoinette
Gabriel Jabbour	...	Le chef des tailleurs
Bernard Musson	...	L'huissier
Patrick Préjean	...	Allard
Valérie Quincy	...	La duchesse Girard
Annie Savarin	...	La princesse Pioche
Christine Aurel	...	Une jeune fille dans la grange
Dorothée Blanck
Paul Bonifas	...	Le quatrième médecin
Jean-Marie Bon	...	Le cocher
Laurence Carile	...	Tristounette
Gabriel Cinque	...	Le messager
Jean Daniel	...	Le troisième médecin
Guy d'Avout	...	Le quatrième ministre (as Guy Davout)
Jean Degrave	...	Un laquais
Lucien Frégis	...	Le second médecin
Catherine Géniat	...	Une fille de cuisine
Martine Leclerc	...	Mlle Gauthier
Marion Loran	...	Une jeune fille dans la grange
Sophie Maire	...	La princesse de Monthion
Michel Mardore	...	Le cinquième ministre
Vanina Michel	...	Une jeune fille dans la grange
Maud Rayer	...	Une fille de cuisine
Sonia Reff	...	Ripincelle
Domergue Regor	...	Le troisième ministre (as Regor)
Pierre Risch
Andrée Tainsy	...	La mère
Geneviève Thénier	...	La fille dans l'appentis
Jean Valière	...	Le second cavalier
Anne Germain	...	Peau d'âne (singing voice)
Jacques Revaux	...	Le prince charmant / The prince (singing voice)
Christiane Legrand	...	(singing voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Coluche	...	Un paysan injurieux (uncredited)
Annie Maurel	...	The Rose (uncredited)
Yves Pignot	...	Petit rôle (uncredited)
Rufus	...	Petit rôle (uncredited)

Directed by
Jacques Demy

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jacques Demy
Charles Perrault		fairy tale

Produced by
Mag Bodard	....	producer

Original Music by
Michel Legrand

Cinematography by
Ghislain Cloquet

Film Editing by
Anne-Marie Cotret		(as Anne Marie Cotret)

Art Direction by
Jacques Dugied

Costume Design by
Gitt Magrini

Makeup Department
Monique Archambault	....	makeup artist
Alain Folgoas	....	makeup artist
Renée Guidet	....	assistant hair stylist
Alexandre Marcus	....	makeup artist (as Alex Marcus)
Éliane Marcus	....	makeup artist (as Eliane Marcus)
Janou Pottier	....	assistant hair stylist

Production Management
Michel Choquet	....	production manager
Philippe Dussart	....	production manager
Hubert Vallus	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alain Franchet	....	assistant director
Jean Lefèvre	....	assistant director

Sound Department
André Hervée	....	sound
Gérard Manneveau	....	assistant sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Yves Agostini	....	assistant camera
Emmanuel Machuel	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Christiane Gratton	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Michel Legrand	....	conductor

Other crew
Nicole Dehayes	....	choreographer
Annie Maurel	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Marianne Productions
• Parc Film

Distributors

• Janus Films (1975) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Ciné Tamaris (2003) (France) (all media) (restored version)
• Cetera International (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Happinet Corporation (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Divisa Home Video (2006) (Spain) (DVD)
• KinoVista (2007) (Russia) (TV)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1970) (France) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Dreamland Filmes (2008) (Brazil) (DVD) (Portuguese subtitles)
• Sultan Video (video)
• Tammanelle's Video (video)

Other Companies

• Arkamys  sound: restored version 2003
• Ciné Tamaris  2003 restoration
• Paramount Famous Music  discs
• Productions Michel Legrand  music edition

Also Known As:

"Peau d'âne" - France (original title)

Runtime:

USA:90 min | Netherlands:100 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Stereo (restored version) | Mono (original version) | Dolby SR (restored version)

Certification:

Finland:S | France:U | Sweden:Btl | Brazil:Livre | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:AL (re-release) (2008) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Château de Chambord, Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France

Company:

Marianne Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in L'âge des possibles (1995)

French beauty at its best

Jacques Demy is a French maker who is famous for his musicals such as "les parapluies de Cherbourg" or "les demoiselles de Rochefort". For this movie, he chose to adapt a fairy tale written by Charles Perrault during the seventeenth century and he wisely chose. This movie is a real treat, an absolute enchantment and rare are the movies that succeed in recreating the wonderful atmosphere of fairy tales. Everything, here, reaches a level of perfection rarely reached: sceneries and costumes are marvellous, especially the rooms of the first castle that you see at the beginning of the movie. Moreover, a part of it was made at Chambord. Then, the music is really gorgeous and the songs ravishing. I also noticed that Demy introduced a contemporary humor which contains numerous anachronisms. For example, near the end of the film, Jean Marais appears in a helicopter! However, the story takes place in the seventeenth century. How strange it is... Don't forget, a performance of quality. Catherine Deneuve is an ideal and delicate princess but Jean Marais is probably the best actor in the movie. He's very convincing in his role of tormented and jaded king. Besides, it was his last role for the cinema. After that, he's given over to painting and sculpture. Even if certain special effects are a little kitsch, the movie is impregnated with a lot of poetry. So, at the end, a movie that seduces the eyesight and the hearing and this is one of Demy's masterpieces.