Toni (1935)

In the 1920s, the Provence is a magnet for immigrants seeking work in the quarries or in agriculture. Many mingle with locals and settle down permanently - like Toni, an Italian who has ... See full summary »

Director:

Jean Renoir

Writers:

Jean Renoir (screenplay), Jacques Levert (based upon material compiled by)

Stars:

Charles Blavette, Celia Montalván, Jenny Hélia

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Charles Blavette	...	Antonio Canova / Toni
Celia Montalván	...	Josefa (as Celia Montalvan)
Édouard Delmont	...	Fernand (as Delmont)
Max Dalban	...	Albert (as Dalban)
Jenny Hélia	...	Marie (as Jenny Helia)
Michel Kovachevitch	...	Sebastian (as M. Kovachevicht)
Andrex	...	Gabi

Storyline

In the 1920s, the Provence is a magnet for immigrants seeking work in the quarries or in agriculture. Many mingle with locals and settle down permanently - like Toni, an Italian who has moved in with Marie, a Frenchwoman. Even a well-ordered existence is not immune from boredom, friendship, love, or enmity, and Toni gets entangled in a web of increasingly passionate relationships. For there is his best pal Fernand, but also Albert, his overbearing foreman; there is Sebastian, a steady Spanish peasant, but also Gabi, his young rogue relative; there is Marie, but there is also Josefa.

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Plot Keywords:

quarry | immigrant | fireplace | godfather | partnership | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French Italian Spanish

Release Date:

4 November 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Тони

Filming Locations:

Martigues, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films Marcel Pagnol

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

At c. 57 minutes a hot dish of ratatouille is taken out of the oven and put on the table. Moments later the baby touches the edge of the dish with no ill effects whatsoever.

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Quotes

Narrator: [first lines]
Narrator: The action takes place in the south of France, a Latin region where, destroying the spirit of Babel, nature knows full well tto achieve the fusion of the races.

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Connections

Referenced in La joie de vivre: Jean Renoir (1957)

User Reviews

Quel Jumelle elles ont le Toni

There is more than a touch of the Pagnols here, both geographically and literally, indeed the print I saw even credited Pagnol as 1) a producer or (and more probably) 2, the use of his studio space. For reasons best known to himself Renoir chose to set a triangular love story in Pagnol turf, le midi and though the result is creditable it is difficult if not impossible to view a movie like this in the 21st century, with our knowledge that by the time it was shot Pagnol had seen his own trilogy on similar themes produced on both stage and screen. Nevertheless and despite ageing prints this remains well worth seeing and obligatory for the Renoir scholar. 6/10