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The Little Theatre of Jean Renoir

Original title: Le petit théâtre de Jean Renoir
  • TV Movie
  • 19701970
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
259
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Le petit théâtre de Jean Renoir (1970)
  • Drama
Made for television, this film consists of four parts: Part One, "The Last Christmas Dinner," is about the relationship between an old man and an old woman, both homeless. Part Two, "The Ele... Read allMade for television, this film consists of four parts: Part One, "The Last Christmas Dinner," is about the relationship between an old man and an old woman, both homeless. Part Two, "The Electric Floor Polisher," is an opera-like story of a woman who is obsessed with polishing he... Read allMade for television, this film consists of four parts: Part One, "The Last Christmas Dinner," is about the relationship between an old man and an old woman, both homeless. Part Two, "The Electric Floor Polisher," is an opera-like story of a woman who is obsessed with polishing her floors. Part Three is a musical interlude featuring Jeanne Moreau singing "When Love Die... Read all
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
259
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Jean Renoir
  • Writer
    • Jean Renoir
  • Stars
    • Nino Formicola
    • Milly
    • Roger Trapp
Top credits
  • Director
    • Jean Renoir
  • Writer
    • Jean Renoir
  • Stars
    • Nino Formicola
    • Milly
    • Roger Trapp
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 3User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Le petit théâtre de Jean Renoir (1970)
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    Top cast

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    Nino Formicola
    • Le clochardas Le clochard…
    Milly
    Milly
    • La clochardeas La clocharde…
    Roger Trapp
    • Max Vialle (segment "Le dernier réveillon")as Max Vialle (segment "Le dernier réveillon")
    Robert Lombard
    • Le maître d'hôtel (segment "Le dernier réveillon")as Le maître d'hôtel (segment "Le dernier réveillon")
    André Dumas
    • Le gérant (segment "Le dernier réveillon")as Le gérant (segment "Le dernier réveillon")
    Roland Bertin
    • Gontran (segment "Le dernier réveillon")as Gontran (segment "Le dernier réveillon")
    Paul Bisciglia
    Paul Bisciglia
    • Un clochard (segment "Le dernier réveillon")as Un clochard (segment "Le dernier réveillon")
    Marguerite Cassan
    • Émilie (segment "La cireuse électrique")as Émilie (segment "La cireuse électrique")
    Pierre Olaf
    • Gustave, le marias Gustave, le mari…
    Jacques Dynam
    Jacques Dynam
    • Jules, le second marias Jules, le second mari…
    Lisa Livane
    • Un amoureuxas Un amoureux
    • (as Claude Guillaume)
    • …
    Denis Gunsbourg
    • Un amoureuxas Un amoureux…
    Jean-Louis Tristan
    • Le représentantas Le représentant…
    Jeanne Moreau
    Jeanne Moreau
    • La chanteuse (segment "Quand l'amour meurt")as La chanteuse (segment "Quand l'amour meurt")
    Fernand Sardou
    • Duvallier (segment "Le roi d'Yvetot")as Duvallier (segment "Le roi d'Yvetot")
    Françoise Arnoul
    Françoise Arnoul
    • Isabelle Duvallier (segment "Le roi d'Yvetot")as Isabelle Duvallier (segment "Le roi d'Yvetot")
    Jean Carmet
    Jean Carmet
    • Le docteur Féraud (segment "Le roi d'Yvetot")as Le docteur Féraud (segment "Le roi d'Yvetot")
    Dominique Labourier
    Dominique Labourier
    • Paulette, la bonneas Paulette, la bonne…
    • Director
      • Jean Renoir
    • Writer
      • Jean Renoir
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Made for television, this film consists of four parts: Part One, "The Last Christmas Dinner," is about the relationship between an old man and an old woman, both homeless. Part Two, "The Electric Floor Polisher," is an opera-like story of a woman who is obsessed with polishing her floors. Part Three is a musical interlude featuring Jeanne Moreau singing "When Love Dies." Part Four, "The Virtue of Tolerance," concerns an old man, his young wife, and how they come to terms when she has an affair with a man her own age. —George S. Davis <mgeorges@prodigy.net>
    • christmas
    • Plot summary
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    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Parents guide
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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Final film of Milly.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Life Itself (2014)
    • Soundtracks
      Quand l'Amour Meurt
      Music by Octave Crémieux

      Lyrics by Georges Millandy

      Performed by Jeanne Moreau

    User reviews3

    Review
    Top review
    Farewell,Mister Renoir....
    That was to be Renoir's last work.Renoir,as anyone past infancy should know,was one of the greatest names of the French cinema.Oddly his last work was MTV:even stranger the copy I own is "letterbox" .This format was not used for MTV films before the nineties.

    A film made up of sketches,which was more his colleague Julien Duvivier's field.This is a spotty minor work.The director himself appears (but he does not play ,as he did,in notably "la Règle du Jeu" ) and presents,a la Sacha Guitry ,his stories and his actors.The presence of a theater in miniature is not unlike the beginning of his 1931 masterwork "La Chienne" .

    Segment one:"Le Dernier Réveillon" or back to Andersen;during the silent era,one of Renoir's best achievements was his stunning treatment of HC Andersen's "La Petite Fille aux Allumettes" .This short is a modern update of the tale.Average.

    Segment two:"La Cireuse Electrique" or down with modern technology!This sketch is marred by frequent appearances of a (Greek?) chorus singing appalling tunes ,recalling the worst musical parts of René Clair's comedies of the early thirties such as "Le Million".And however the sketch -you can use your fast forward button for the "songs"- is probably the best of the lot.Marguerite Cassan is very funny as the perfect housewife (a Stepford one?) whose only love seems to be her floor,and whose only desire is to own a floor polisher.When her hubby comes back from work with a promotion,her only thought is that being richer,they can afford that domestic appliance.

    Actually the segment displays Renoir's disgust for modern life ,for new ideas (also blatant in the first sketch),for revolution (this was made two years after 1968).It's surprising that the same man did "La Chienne" "Boudu Sauvé des Eaux" or "Le Crime de Monsieur Lange" .

    Segment three : "Quand l'Amour Meurt" or Intermezzo.Jeanne Moreau sings one song .Not really exciting.

    Segment four: "Le Roi D'Yvetot" or back to Marcel Pagnol.In 1934,Renoir made "Toni " ,a film produced by Pagnol with the Provençal director's actors.This final segment is updated Pagnol : besides,Fernand Sardou resembles Raimu -whom Renoir never directed-,and the story revolves around Pétanque and Ménage à Trois.It never really takes off.

    Although he was always praised by the Cahiers du Cinema,Renoir's decline was obvious in the sixties and "Le Petit Theatre" is finally a disappointment after such a brilliant career.
    helpful•3
    10
    • dbdumonteil
    • Aug 10, 2007

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 2, 1974 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Italy
      • West Germany
    • Language
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Das kleine Theater von Jean Renoir
    • Production companies
      • Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF)
      • Son et Lumière
      • RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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