Love Is My Profession (1958)

Married French lawyer Andre defends succesfully the case of Yvette, who committed a robbery. He falls in love with her, but she isn't true to him.

Director:

Claude Autant-Lara

Writers:

Jean Aurenche (screenplay), Pierre Bost (screenplay)

Stars:

Jean Gabin, Brigitte Bardot, Edwige Feuillère

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Gabin	...	Maître André Gobillot
Brigitte Bardot	...	Yvette Maudet
Edwige Feuillère	...	Viviane Gobillot
Nicole Berger	...	Janine - la bonne d'Yvette
Madeleine Barbulée	...	Bordenave
Gabrielle Fontan	...	Mme Langlois
Jacques Clancy	...	Duret - assistant de Gobillot
Annick Allières	...	Noémie - l'amie d'Yvette
Suzanne Grey	...	La fleuriste
Edith Cérou	...	(as Edith Cerou)
Hubert de Lapparent	...	L'avocat du bijoutier
Georges Seey	...	Le bijoutier (as Georges Scey)
Julien Bertheau	...	L'inspecteur
Jacques Marin	...	Le réceptionniste de l'hôtel Trianon
Claude Magnier	...	Gaston

Storyline

Married French lawyer Andre defends succesfully the case of Yvette, who committed a robbery. He falls in love with her, but she isn't true to him.

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Plot Keywords:

robbery | lawyer | infidelity | unfaithfulness | blood | 

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Taglines:

A frankly shocking film about a man's obsession with his mistress

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Genres:

Drama | Crime | Romance

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Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

17 September 1958 (France)

Also Known As:

Love Is My Profession

Filming Locations:

Préfecture de Police, Boulevard du Palais, Paris 4, Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$750,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$49,454

Company Credits

Production Co:

Union Cinématographique Lyonnaise (UCIL), Iéna Productions, CEI Incom

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Last film of Julienne Paroli.

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Connections

Referenced in Les échos du cinéma: Episode #1.23 (1961)

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Soundtracks

Tendres Sentiments
Writte and Performed by René Cloërec Et Son Orchestre

User Reviews

Gets better with every viewing

This is not a particularly well known movie among the anglophone crowd but it is definitely very advanced for its year of production, 1958. Yvette Maudet ("maudit" means accursed in French) as portrayed by Bardot is a constantly split personality that seems utterly unable to decide whether she wants the wealthy but old and not overly attractive Gabin or the young and handsome, but poor, Gaston. The way she enlists the services of Gabin as her lawyer is memorable and the scene so graphic and far ahead of its time that it was cut!

Curvaceous 22-year-old blonde Bardot is to die for but it is Gabin that carries the film with a masterly performance. Look out for Feuillere in role of Gabin's wife. She is apparently liberal and allows the affair to unfold and develop in the belief that her husband will eventually come back and she will remain in control of the marriage. Watch how she puts away her glasses when he comes into her bedroom so she looks more attractive to him... even though she knows she cannot compete with the much younger and voluptuous BB. Watch her loyalty to her husband as she sees him run after the mirage of young and callously carefree beauty, and she sees his business collapse and begin to affect her own life.

There is more: There is the extremely competent direction, an engrossing screenplay, and bewitching photography from director Autant-Lara and his team. It provides no happy end but this film has so much to offer that I can only encourage you to not miss it, dear reader.