Un chien qui rapporte (1932)

Josyane Plaisir, a rather idle singer, who is waiting for the man of her heart,handsome and rich if possible, accepts the offer of a dog handler. The clever man has worked out a scheme to ... See full summary »

Director:

Jean Choux

Writers:

Paul Armont (play), Jean Choux,

Stars:

René Lefèvre, Arletty, Laure Diana

Cast

Cast overview:
René Lefèvre	...	René (as René Lefebvre)
Arletty	...	Josyane Plaisir
Laure Diana	...	Odette
Madeleine Guitty	...	Mme Gras, la concierge
Médy	...	Alfred Debarazet
Jean Coquelin
Hélène Hallier	...	Une locataire
Véra Sherbane	...	La comtesse de Noyant
Christiane Dor
Rose Lorraine
Paulette Dubost	...	Une locataire
Jean Fabert

Storyline

Josyane Plaisir, a rather idle singer, who is waiting for the man of her heart,handsome and rich if possible, accepts the offer of a dog handler. The clever man has worked out a scheme to snare rich men. The trick is simple: "Pantoufle", the little dog he lets for 5,000 francs a week, will run off, climb into a luxurious car with only one man inside and "retrieve" him to Josyane, since her address is stuck to the dog's collar. René, the first man who rings her door-bell, is single (or nearly so!), good-looking but ... broke.

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Plot Keywords:

based on play

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

1 January 1932 (France)

Filming Locations:

Bois de Boulogne, Paris 16, Paris, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinéa (II), Superfilm, Vox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Aimer"
Lyrics by André Sablon
Performed by Arletty

User Reviews

Both prehistoric and ahead of its time

This could easily be a mere product of its time, an adaptation of a successful risqué comic play as there are millions of examples but thanks to director Jean Choux, "Un Chien qui rapporte" is better than just that. First thanks, as DB Dumonteil puts it quite rightly in his comment, to the presence of Arletty in her first leading role. Tall, at ease with her body and witty, she brings a modern cool touch to her character. And also because Jean Choux is not content to film the play flatly like the majority of his colleagues at that time. He experiments throughout the film, trying his hand at strange angles, using slow motion or else paying homage to the silent era with the concierge's dream, a wonderful sequence which has nothing to do with filmed theater. His editing is also striking and the sound effects (often tied with the image editing) are inventive. Remember this was 1931 and how difficult it was to shoot a picture at the time because of the constraints of mikes, enormous spotlights and big cameras. Even if this film is no masterpiece (the subject is a bit light), Jean Choux is not a lazy director. His passion for cinema shows through and "Un chien qui rapporte deserves better than a 3.3 out of ten given by viewers who are persuaded his ridiculous-sounding name (Choux means "cabbage" in French) means he is hopeless.