Ludivine Jarisse is a young woman who lives a contented but unexciting life in the country. One day, she is visited by Roberte, an old friend who has made a career for herself as an actress at a Paris music hall, L’Empyrée. Roberte intends to take a break and invites her friend to take her place. Ludivine readily accepts, and soon becomes a musical hall diva under the name Divine, although she is at first reluctant to expose herself in the revealing costumes she is given. One of her colleagues attempts to take advantage of her naivety, but when she resists, he implicates her in a drugs trafficking affair.
Director: Max Ophüls.
Writers: Colette (scenario and dialogue), Jean-Georges Auriol (as J.G. Auriol) & Max Ophüls (decoupage).
Stars: Simone Berriau, Gina Manès, George Rigaud, Philippe Hériat, Catherine Fonteney, Paul Azaïs, Thérèse Dorny, Jeanne Fusier-Gir, Jeanne Véniat, Nane Germon, Ivette Lebon, Sylvette Fillacier, André Gabriello, Marcel Vallée Georgé, Roger Gaillard, Pierre Juvenet, Floyd Du Pont, Lucien Callamand, Tony Murcie.
Composer: Albert Wolff.
Cinematographer: Roger Hubert.
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Note: Sound is poor and not the best image quality either (no HD release yet it seems) but for being a 87yo film it’s still completely watchable.
Image quality is only degraded in the fifth reel (seems like from a different print). Ophuls does some amazing work here with his trademark moving camera, and much of the content (drug use and trafficking, lesbian seduction, topless showgirls) outdoes even the most risqué contemporary Pre-Code American films like “Murder at the Vanities.” A fantastic find!
I never knew Ophuls did material written by Colette. It does not surprise me given that his sensibility often comes close to hers. I’m thinking of the young girlhood scenes from LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN; they could have easily been lifted from GIGI or her series about CLAUDINE.
Max Ophuls is tops in my filmplay book. Thanks, Jon.