The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)

Two sisters leave their small seaside town of Rochefort in search of romance. Hired as carnival singers, one falls for an American musician, while the other must search for her ideal partner.

Director:

Jacques Demy

Writer:

Jacques Demy

Stars:

Catherine Deneuve, George Chakiris, Françoise Dorléac

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Catherine Deneuve	...	Delphine Garnier
George Chakiris	...	Etienne
Françoise Dorléac	...	Solange Garnier
Jacques Perrin	...	Maxence
Michel Piccoli	...	Simon Dame
Jacques Riberolles	...	Guillaume Lancien
Grover Dale	...	Bill
Geneviève Thénier	...	Josette
Henri Crémieux	...	Subtil Dutrouz
Pamela Hart	...	Judith
Leslie North	...	Esther
Patrick Jeantet	...	Bouboo Garnier
Gene Kelly	...	Andy Miller
Danielle Darrieux	...	Yvonne Garnier
René Pascal	...	Pépé (as René Bazart)

Storyline

Delphine and Solange are two sisters living in Rochefort. Delphine is a dancing teacher and Solange composes and teaches the piano. Maxence is a poet and a painter. He is doing his military service. Simon owns a music shop, he left Paris once month ago to come back where he fell in love 10 years ago. They are looking for love, looking for each other, without being aware that their ideal partner is very close... A film whose scenario is much less important than its feeling of euphory, according to the director Jacques Demy.

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Plot Keywords:

city name in title | rochefort france | model boat | playing trumpet | cigarette smoking | 

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Taglines:

A dazzling new musical treat from the creators of "Umbrellas of Cherbourg."

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French English

Release Date:

11 April 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Young Girls of Rochefort

Filming Locations:

Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,162, 16 August 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$91,837, 31 December 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

Parc Film, Madeleine Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene where George Chakiris, Grover Dale and company dance on a bridge was shot on the Rochefort-Martrou Transporter Bridge, one of less than 24 transporter bridges ever built. A transporter bridge (also ferry bridge or aerial transfer bridge) is a type of movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. It is one of only 12 that continue to be used as of 2014.

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Goofs

In the dance sequences when Andy first arrives, the dancers are in full sun in the street but by the end the shadows have almost covered the entire width of the street.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[in French, using English subtitles]
Bill: Set up here?
Etienne: OK.
Bill: OK.

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Alternate Versions

This film was filmed in a double version (French and English) with different sound and dialogues, with each scene shot twice (once for each version)

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Connections

Featured in Les demoiselles ont eu 25 ans (1993)

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Soundtracks

Nous Voyageons De Ville En Ville
(uncredited)
Written by Michel Legrand
Courtesy of Warner Chappell Music France /BMG Publishing
Performed by George Chakiris (dubbed by José Bartel) and Grover Dale (dubbed by Romuald)

User Reviews

We are twin sisters...

When the movie was released in France,it was looked upon by most of the critics as a failure.Since it has been restored to favor and enjoys a high rating on the IMDb.

Hindsight reveals that Demy's work thoroughly deserved its restoring to favor.It's all the more precious as it was to be the only movie where the Dorleac sisters (Catherine and Françoise) would appear together,after the latter's tragic death.

A whole town is singing and dancing ,a whole town which painter Demy colors in pastel blue ,green ,yellow,pink just as he did in Cherbourg,three years before.But,unlike "the parapluies",the lines are not sung,it's actually closer to American musicals ,which Gene Kelly's and George Chakiris's presence reinforces.The French cast is also very exciting:Danielle Darrieux is marvelously cast as the mother (she would often be Deneuve 's mother,check "8 femmes"!)and there's also a Demy's favorite ,Jacques Perrin (who would be Prince Charming in "Peau d'âne)and Michel Piccoli.

Michel Legrand,without whom a Demy movie would not exist, gave one of his best tunes "the twin sisters song" .

As I said at the beginning of my comment,the movie met mixed critical reception when it was released and not-so-great commercial success.Demy exiled himself to America where he made the uneven "Model shop" ;but "Peau d'Ane" (1970) reasserted his talent in his native country.