The Paris Waltz (French: La Valse de Paris) is a 1950 French-Italian historical musical film directed by Marcel Achard and starring Yvonne Printemps, Pierre Fresnay and Jacques Charon.[1] It portrays the life of the nineteenth century composer Jacques Offenbach.
The Paris Waltz | |
---|---|
Directed by | Marcel Achard |
Written by | Marcel Achard |
Produced by | Pierre Gurgo-Salice |
Starring | Yvonne Printemps Pierre Fresnay Jacques Charon |
Cinematography | Christian Matras |
Edited by | Yvonne Martin |
Music by | Jacques Offenbach, arranged and directed by Louis Beydts |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Lux Film |
Release date | 5 May 1950 |
Running time | 92 minutes |
Countries | France Italy |
Language | French |
In Paris during the Second Empire, the composer Jacques Offenbach discovers an unknown singer, the soprano Hortense Schneider. He writes lead roles for her in his stage works which make her famous in France and beyond. When he consoles Schneider at the end of her various love affairs their relationship develops and Offenbach falls in love with her. While she is unfaithful to him, he continues to write more operettas featuring her, including several of his most famous works.
Filming took place at Fontainebleau (Seine-et-Marne) and at the Studios de Boulogne.[2] Printemps's costumes were by Christian Dior.[2] Fresnay and Printemps had been partners in private life since 1932 when her marriage to Sacha Guitry broke up,[3] and they had worked together since Coward's Conversation Piece in April 1934 where he won excellent reviews, and their stage partnership was greatly admired.[4] In the same year Printemps and Fresnay had a screen hit in Abel Gance's La dame aux camélias, and between then and 1951 they appeared together in eight films.[5] Raymonde Allain had already played the Empress Eugénie in the 1937 film Les Perles de la couronne.
The music was by Offenbach, arranged by Louis Beydts.[2] The film credits end by a dialogue between the screenwriter and Offenbach in shadow show:
The music uses songs from Offenbach's stage works La Chanson de Fortunio, La Vie parisienne, La Périchole, Madame Favart, La Belle Hélène, La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein and Belle Lurette, (Schneider created the title roles in La Périchole, La Belle Hélène and La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein).
The reviewer in Sight and Sound described La Valse de Paris as "a stylised musical" and praised Fresnay's "delightful, lightly caricatured portrayal of Offenbach, and noted Printemps's "grace and waywardness and allure".[6]