Les demoiselles de Rochefort (1967)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Directors:

Jacques Demy
Agnès Varda

Writer:

Jacques Demy (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

11 April 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

...they're Singing and Dancing in the Streets

Plot:

Delphine and Solange are two sisters living in Rochefort. Delphine is a dancing teacher and Solange composes and teaches the piano...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Twins | Piano | Dance | Painter

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Catherine Deneuve	...	Delphine Garnier
George Chakiris	...	Etienne
Françoise Dorléac	...	Solange Garnier (as Françoise Dorleac)
Jacques Perrin	...	Maxence
Michel Piccoli	...	Simon Dame
Jacques Riberolles	...	Guillaume Lancien
Grover Dale	...	Bill
Geneviève Thénier	...	Josette (as Geneviève Thenier)
Henri Crémieux	...	Subtil Dutrouz (as Henri Cremieux)
Pamela Hart	...	Judith
Leslie North	...	Esther
Patrick Jeantet	...	Boubou Garnier
Gene Kelly	...	Andy Miller
Danielle Darrieux	...	Yvonne Garnier
René Bazart	...	Pépé
Dorothée Blank	...	Passerby
Daniel Moquay	...	First Sailor
Daniel Gall	...	Second Sailor
Bernard Fradet	...	Second Agent
Remy Brozek	...	Third Agent
Véronique Duval	...	A Woman
Pierre Caden	...	First Man
Peter Ardran	...	Dancer
Wendy Barry	...	Dancer
Sarah Butler	...	Dancer
Anne Chapman	...	Dancer (as Ann Chapman)
Jane Darling	...	Dancer
Tudor Davies	...	Dancer
Lindsay Dolan	...	Dancer
John McDonald	...	Dancer (as John Mac Donald)
Keith Drummond	...	Dancer
Maureen Evans	...	Dancer
Tara Fernando	...	Dancer (as Taira Fernando)
Sarah Flemington	...	Dancer
Johnny Greenland	...	Dancer (as Johny Greenland)
Leo Guerard	...	Dancer
David Hepburn	...	Dancer
Bob Howe	...	Dancer
Alix Kirsta	...	Dancer
Jerry Manley	...	Dancer
Tony Manning	...	Dancer
Tom Merrifield	...	Dancer
Connel Miles	...	Dancer
Albin Pahernik	...	Dancer
Nicky Temperton	...	Dancer
Barrie Wilkinson	...	Dancer
Maureen Willsher	...	Dancer
Anne Germain	...	Delphine Garnier (singing voice)
Claude Parent	...	Solange Garnier (singing voice)
Christiane Legrand	...	Judith (singing voice)
Claudine Meunier	...	Esther (singing voice)
Alice Herald	...	Josette (singing voice)
José Bartel	...	Bill (singing voice) (as Jose Bartel)
Romuald	...	Etienne (singing voice)
Donald Burke	...	Andy Miller (singing voice)
Olivier Bonnet	...	Boubou (singing voice)
Georges Blaness	...	Simon Dame (singing voice) (as Georges Blanes)
Jacques Revaux	...	Maxence (singing voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jacques Barratier	...	Second Man (uncredited)
Alain Franchet	...	First Agent (uncredited)
Liliane de Kermadec	...	Nun (uncredited)
Florence Malraux	...	Nun (uncredited)
Michèle Manceaux	...	Nun (uncredited)
Annie Maurel	...	Nun (uncredited)
Jean Stout	...	Guillaume Lancien (singing voice) (uncredited)
Jacques Thébault	...	Etienne (voice) (uncredited)
Dominique Tirmont	...	Bill (voice) (uncredited)
Agnès Varda	...	Music-Loving Nun (uncredited)

Directed by
Jacques Demy
Agnès Varda		(1996 restoration)

Writing credits
Jacques Demy		(written by)
Julian More		adaptation: English version (uncredited)

Produced by
Perrine Bauduin	....	producer (1996 restoration)
Mag Bodard	....	delegate producer
Gilbert de Goldschmidt	....	producer (as Gilbert De Goldschmidt)

Original Music by
Michel Legrand

Cinematography by
Ghislain Cloquet

Film Editing by
Jean Hamon

Production Design by
Bernard Evein

Set Decoration by
Louis Seuret

Costume Design by
Marie-Claude Fouquet
Jacqueline Moreau

Makeup Department
Aïda Carange	....	makeup artist
Carita	....	hair stylist
Luc Durand	....	makeup artist
Edina Habib	....	hair stylist
Janine Jarreau	....	makeup artist (as Jeanine Jarreau)
Christiane Sauvage	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Philippe Dussart	....	production manager
René Pascal	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jacques Barratier	....	assistant director
Charles Chieusse	....	second unit director
Alain Franchet	....	assistant director
Bernard Gilson	....	assistant director
Claude Miller	....	assistant director (as Claude Miler)
Michel Romanoff	....	assistant director

Art Department
Roger Fresca	....	tapestry
Joseph Gerhard	....	props
Georges Glon	....	assistant set decorator
Josette Jover	....	tapestry
Claude Pignot	....	assistant set decorator
Angelo Rizzi	....	props

Sound Department
Jean Gaudelet	....	boom operator
Jacques Maumont	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Pierre Cornier	....	chief electrician
Hélène Jeanbrau	....	still photographer
Bernard Largemain	....	key grip (as Bernard Largemains)
Jean-Paul Lemaître	....	assistant camera
Emmanuel Machuel	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jean-Marie Armand	....	wardrobe
Laurence Clairval	....	costumer
Christiane Fageol	....	costumer
Odette Le Barbenchon	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Claudio Ventura	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Michel Legrand	....	music publisher
Michel Legrand	....	musical director
Francis Lemarque	....	music publisher

Other crew
Jean Barthet	....	hat maker
Maureen Bright	....	assistant choreographer
Michel Choquet	....	general manager
Jean-Marc Garrouste	....	accountant
Pamela Hart	....	assistant choreographer
Norman Maen	....	choreographer
Annie Maurel	....	script

Thanks
Roland Moreno	....	thanks (1996 restoration)

Production Companies

• Madeleine Films
• Parc Film

Distributors

• Comacico (1967) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts (1968) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (dubbed version)
• Miramax Zoë (1998) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2006) (Spain) (DVD)
• Herald Film Company (Japan)
• KinoVista (2007) (Russia) (TV)

Other Companies

• Saint-Gobain  set design: Cafe

Also Known As:

The Young Girls of Rochefort (USA)
Las señoritas de Rochefort (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
A rochefort-i kisasszonyok (Hungary) [hu]
Die Fräulein von Rochefort (East Germany) (dubbed version) [de]
Die Mädchen von Rochefort (West Germany) [de]
Duas Garotas Românticas (Brazil) [pt]
Flickorna i Rochefort (Sweden) [sv]
Josephine (Italy) [it]
Pigerne fra Rochefort (Denmark) [da]
Rochefortin tytöt (Finland) [fi]
Ta koritsia tou Rochefort (Greece) [el]
Tatli günler (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

Runtime:

120 min | Argentina:128 min | Germany:122 min | Japan:127 min | Sweden:126 min | USA:125 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:G | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | France:U | Sweden:Btl | USA:G | Hong Kong:I

Filming Locations:

Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, France

Company:

Madeleine Films

Trivia:

Jacques Demy planned to make more extensive references to his earlier movie Les parapluies de Cherbourg (1964) by casting Nino Castelnuovo, the hero of that film, as Bill. When Castelnuovo proved unavailable, Demy had to change the script.

Quotes:

Delphine: Did he have a camera?
Solange: No.
Delphine: Then how did you know he was an American?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Les soeurs fâchées (2004)

Soundtrack:

Chanson De Simon

And I Don't Even Speak French!

(with apologies to Jonathan Rosenbaum...)

Watching the Hollywood musicals of Astaire and Kelly, one can't help but marvel at the skill and precision of the dancing and the mise en scene, and be buoyed by the very idea that the world could be so perfect, if only in a movie. "Rochefort" isn't perfect in the same way, but in pushing the musical to a different plane it achieves a kind of perfection, one dependent not on the talents of its cast or, as the popular Broadway musicals were, on the book & lyrics.

(Which is not to say that there isn't great music! Themes are repeated, to be sure, but Legrand's melodies delight, and there's more musical variance here than in "Umbrellas of Cherbourg".)

Musicals, like most popular entertainment, usually serve to reinforce our ideals. The 30 years since its release may have been kind, but "The Young Girls of Rochefort" is a rare thing, an entertainment that challenges, flies in the face of convention.

Of special note are the colors, delightfully absurd; the English subtitles, much of which read in perfect sync (including rhymes) with the music (a coinciding English-language verson was shot but never released); the macabre- this is probably the only musical with a song about an ax-murder.

The world in which this movie exists hasn't been seen on the screen before or since. Of course, all musicals are fantasy of a kind, but Demy takes it somewhere else. It is one of film's truly unique experiences.