Carnival in Flanders (1935)

Tells the story of the Spanish invasion of Flanders

Director:

Jacques Feyder

Writers:

Charles Spaak (short story), Bernard Zimmer (dialogue)

Stars:

Françoise Rosay, André Alerme, Jean Murat

5 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Françoise Rosay	...	Cornelia de Witte, Madame la Bourgmestre / Madame Burgomaster
André Alerme	...	Korbus de Witte, le bourgmestre / The Burgomaster (as Alerme)
Jean Murat	...	Le duc d'Olivarès / The Duke
Louis Jouvet	...	Le chapelain / The Priest
Lyne Clevers	...	La poissonnière / The Fish-Wife (as Lynne Clevers)
Micheline Cheirel	...	Siska
Maryse Wendling	...	La boulangère / The Baker's Wife
Ginette Gaubert	...	L'aubergiste / The Inn-Keeper's Wife
Marguerite Ducouret	...	La femme du brasseur / The Brewer's Wife
Bernard Lancret	...	Julien Breughel
Alfred Adam	...	Josef Van Meulen, le boucher
Pierre Labry	...	L'aubergiste / The Inn-Keeper
Arthur Devère	...	Le poissonnier / The Fishmonger (as Arthur Devere)
Marcel Carpentier	...	Le boulanger / The Baker
Alexander D'Arcy	...	Le capitaine / The Captain (as Alexandre Darcy)

Storyline

When the village of Boom, in Flanders, learns a Spanish Duke and his troops plan to pass the night, the 4-man army deserts and the Mayor plays dead; so the Mayor's wife organizes the townswomen to greet the invaders and preserve the peace with womanly wiles.

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Plot Keywords:

mayor | flanders | invasion | invader | duke | 

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Taglines:

Prize Winning French Film Hit!

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Genres:

Comedy | History | Romance

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Details

Country:

France Germany

Language:

French

Release Date:

22 September 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Carnival in Flanders

Filming Locations:

Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium

Company Credits

Production Co:

Films Sonores Tobis

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Grand Prix du Cinéma Français 1936.

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Quotes

Cornelia de Witte, Madame la Bourgmestre: It's clear that beards, breeches, and harquebuses mean nothing.

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Connections

Referenced in Un genio en apuros (1983)

User Reviews

Very clever and very unique...

I enjoyed this film very much--partly because of its clever writing and partly because it shows a period you just don't see in films very often. It's well worth your time.

"Carnival in Flanders" is set in the 16th century--during the time that Flanders (modern Belgium) was ruled by Spain. It is set in a fictional town in Flanders--and apparently some thin-skinned Belgians during the 1930s wanted to ban the picture because they thought it made them look bad. That's silly--it's just a cute little comedy! The film begins with some minor intrigues in town--including a painter wishing to marry the daughter of the Burgomeister (that's a mayor for us Yanks). However, suddenly, this is unimportant--what IS important is that the Spanish army will be passing through and the town council KNOW this means they'll sack the town. So, they come up with a crazy plan--to pretend that the Burgomeister is dead. This really won't help anyone--just the Burgomeister! So it's up to the man's wife and the women of the town to deal with these invaders. However, they are shocked to see that the Spanish are incredibly polite--and kind of cute!! What's next? See the film.

I found myself laughing several times during this movie--a very good sign for a comedy. I particularly liked the needlepoint scene! All in all, very entertaining, funny and exceptionally well made--they got the look of 16th century Flanders down pat. A wonderful little comedy that deserves to be seen.