La kermesse héroïque (1935)

Director:

Jacques Feyder

Writers:

Charles Spaak (short story)
Bernard Zimmer (dialogue)
(more)

Release Date:

22 September 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | History | Romance

Plot:

Tells the story of the Spanish invasion of Flanders

Plot Keywords:

Flanders | Mayor | Duke | Invader | Invasion

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Françoise Rosay	...	Cornelia de Witte, Madame la Bourgmestre / Madame Burgomaster
André Alerme	...	Korbus de Witte, le bourgmestre / The Burgomaster (as Alerme)
Jean Murat	...	Le duc d'Olivarès / The Duke
Louis Jouvet	...	Le chapelain / The Priest
Lyne Clevers	...	La poissonnière / The Fish-Wife (as Lynne Clevers)
Micheline Cheirel	...	Siska
Maryse Wendling	...	La boulangère / The Baker's Wife
Ginette Gaubert	...	L'aubergiste / The Inn-Keeper's Wife
Marguerite Ducouret	...	La femme du brasseur / The Brewer's Wife
Bernard Lancret	...	Julien Breughel
Alfred Adam	...	Josef Van Meulen, le boucher
Pierre Labry	...	L'aubergiste / The Inn-Keeper
Arthur Devère	...	Le poissonnier / The Fishmonger (as Arthur Devere)
Marcel Carpentier	...	Le boulanger / The Baker
Alexander D'Arcy	...	Le capitaine / The Captain (as Alexandre Darcy)
Claude Sainval	...	Le lieutenant / The Lieutenant (as Claude Saint Val)
Delphin	...	Le nain / The Dwarf
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pierre Athon	...	(uncredited)
Francine Bessy	...	(uncredited)
Will Dohm	...	(uncredited)
Enrico Glori	...	(uncredited)
Marianne Hardy	...	(uncredited)
Roger Legris	...	Le mercier (uncredited)
Matt Mattox	...	Un danseur (uncredited)
Rafael Medina	...	(uncredited)
Myrillis	...	(uncredited)
Rolla Norman	...	(uncredited)
Bernard Optal	...	Ambroise (uncredited)
Molly Robert	...	(uncredited)
Georges Spanelly	...	(uncredited)
Yvonne Yma	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Jacques Feyder

Writing credits
Charles Spaak		(short story)
Bernard Zimmer		(dialogue)
Jacques Feyder		uncredited
Robert A. Stemmle		uncredited

Original Music by
Louis Beydts

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Sr.		(as Harry Stradling)

Production Design by
Lazare Meerson

Set Decoration by
Alexandre Trauner		(uncredited)
Georges Wakhévitch		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Georges K. Benda		(as G.K. Benda)

Production Management
Pierre Guerlais	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Barrois	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Hermann Storr	....	sound engineer

Camera and Electrical Department
Louis Page	....	camera operator
André Thomas	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Muelle	....	costume execution (as J. Muelle)

Editorial Department
Jacques Brillouin	....	editor: montage

Other crew
Marcel Carné	....	production assistant
M. Sterling	....	historical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Films Sonores Tobis

Distributors

• Films Sonores Tobis (1935) (France) (theatrical)
• Filmsonor (1951) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• L.C.J. Editions & Productions (2007) (France) (DVD)
• American Tobis Company (1936) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• BFI Video (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Hen's Tooth Video (1997) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Timeless Video (2000) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)

Other Companies

• Muelle  costume maker (uncredited)
• Tobis-Klangfilm  recording system
• Traonouez (Paris)  uniforms (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Carnival in Flanders (USA)
A Quermesse Heróica (Portugal) [pt]
Herttua etsii yösijaa (Finland) [fi]
Iroiki parelasis (Greece) [el]
La kermesse eroica (Italy) [it]
La kermesse heroica (Spain) [es]

Runtime:

110 min | USA:95 min

Country:

France | Germany

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Studios Tobis, Epinay-sur-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, France

Company:

Films Sonores Tobis

Trivia:

Re-released in France in 1951.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

Okay

A fun and charming film, but pretty forgettable. I watched it as the first part of a double feature (the second film being Mildred Pierce), and I hardly remember a thing about it. The story concerns the people of Flanders who have to deal with a Spanish invasion (the year is 1616). They are peaceful people and the Spanish are not. The mayor and other regents of the city are sure that there will be rape and bloodshed everywhere. Most of them want to flee. The mayor's wife and the other women don't like their husbands' cowardice. They try to think of a way to avoid violence. When the Spanish arrive, the men are mostly hiding and the mayor is playing dead. The women charm them. The Duke of the Spaniards is attracted to the mayor's wife. Meanwhile, there's a cute little love subplot between an artist and the mayor's daughter. Her father wants her to marry a man of higher class, but her mother perfectly loves the romantic artist. Through the film, she contrives a way for the two to get married without the mayor's approval. There are many better films to search out and watch, but if you think you've seen everything else, I guess this is okay to see. 7/10.