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The Phantom Baron

Original title: Le baron fantôme
  • 19431943
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
128
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
380,767
129,959
The Phantom Baron (1943)
DramaRomance
Elfy, Countess of Saint-Hélié's daughter, was brought up with her foster sister Anne, in an old dilapidated castle whose landlord, Baron Julius Carol, disappeared mysteriously some day. The ... Read allElfy, Countess of Saint-Hélié's daughter, was brought up with her foster sister Anne, in an old dilapidated castle whose landlord, Baron Julius Carol, disappeared mysteriously some day. The two girls had a playmate, Hervé, the son of the gamekeeper. Now that they are adult, Anne ... Read allElfy, Countess of Saint-Hélié's daughter, was brought up with her foster sister Anne, in an old dilapidated castle whose landlord, Baron Julius Carol, disappeared mysteriously some day. The two girls had a playmate, Hervé, the son of the gamekeeper. Now that they are adult, Anne is in love with Hervé while Elfy thinks she loves the young man. One day, the baron's mumm... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
128
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
380,767
129,959
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Serge de Poligny
    • Writers
      • Serge de Poligny(story)
      • Jean Cocteau(dialogue)
      • Louis Chavance(decoupage)
    • Stars
      • André Lefaur
      • Odette Joyeux
      • Jany Holt
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Serge de Poligny
    • Writers
      • Serge de Poligny(story)
      • Jean Cocteau(dialogue)
      • Louis Chavance(decoupage)
    • Stars
      • André Lefaur
      • Odette Joyeux
      • Jany Holt
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 5User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos7

    The Phantom Baron (1943)
    Jean Cocteau in The Phantom Baron (1943)
    The Phantom Baron (1943)
    The Phantom Baron (1943)
    The Phantom Baron (1943)
    The Phantom Baron (1943)

    Top cast

    Edit
    André Lefaur
    André Lefaur
    • Eustache Dauphin dit Monseigneur - le faux Louis XVII
    Odette Joyeux
    Odette Joyeux
    • Elfy de Saint-Hélié
    Jany Holt
    Jany Holt
    • Anne
    Alain Cuny
    Alain Cuny
    • Hervé
    Gabrielle Dorziat
    Gabrielle Dorziat
    • La comtesse de Saint-Helie
    André Alerme
    André Alerme
    • Le colonel
    • (as Alerme)
    Aimé Clariond
    Aimé Clariond
    • L'évêque
    Marguerite Pierry
    • Fébronie Dauphin
    Claude Sainval
    • Albéric de Marignac
    Charles Vissières
    • Toussaint - le domestique
    Jean Cocteau
    Jean Cocteau
    • Le baron Julius Carol - le baron fantôme
    Marguerite de Morlaye
    • Une vieille dame
    Marcel Pérès
    Marcel Pérès
    • Léopold - le frère de Fébronie
    Jean Diéner
    • Joseph - le cocher
    Jacques Ory
    • Hervé enfant
    Marie Magali
    • Elfy de Saint-Hélié enfant
    Mercédès Brare
    • Anne enfant
    • Director
      • Serge de Poligny
    • Writers
      • Serge de Poligny(story) (scenario)
      • Jean Cocteau(dialogue)
      • Louis Chavance(decoupage)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Re-released in France in 1971.

    User reviews5

    Review
    Top review
    Wartime fantasy
    The film has a prologue that might have strayed in from an RKO horror movie: a storm, a dilapidated castle, a coach and horses, a sinister cat, a terrified butler, and an evil-looking baron (played by Jean Cocteau) who mysteriously vanishes.

    The mood then changes swiftly as we jump ahead 10 years and are introduced to the principal characters: Elfy, the daughter of the castle's new owner; her friend, Anne; the woodsman, Hervé; and the young army officer who is coming around courting. The romantic intrigues of these four are played out against the background of the ruined castle and the mystery of the baron's disappearance.

    At the heart of the film is the relationship between the troubled Hervé (Alain Cuny) and Jany Holt's bookish Anne. Neither has acknowledged their feelings when Hervé, who sleepwalks, comes into Anne's bedroom and carries her through the moonlit castle grounds, her long nightdress catching on the branches and trailing through the damp grass. It's a subtly erotic and beautifully cinematic moment, recalling the abduction scene in Caligari, but with the twist here that the girl is awake and loving every minute of it.

    In scenes like this, and the discovery of the baron's secret (which I won't reveal), Poligny shows a masterful talent for the fantasy genre. The film's weakness is that it has too few such moments, and too many minor characters who serve no more than an incidental comedic purpose. Fortunately, the performances of Holt (sincere, passionate and vulnerable) and Cuny (brooding and intense, as in the previous year's Les Visiteurs du soir) keep the film from floating off into lightweight comedy.

    Co-written by Cocteau and filmed during the Nazi Occupation, Le Baron fantôme was one of the more inventive responses to the directive to avoid topical subjects.
    helpful•6
    1
    • kinsayder
    • Aug 30, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 16, 1943 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • France
    • Official sites
      • distributor's official site
      • Productor's official site
    • Language
      • French
    • Also known as
      • O Barão Fantasma
    • Filming locations
      • Château de Rauzan, Rauzan, Gironde, France
    • Production company
      • Consortium de Productions de Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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