Le Million
- Annabella: Béatrice
- René Lefèvre: Michel Bouflette
- Jean -Louis Allibert: Prosper
- Paul Ollivier: Grandfather Tulipe
- Constantin Siroesco Ambrosio Sopranelli
- Raymond Cordy: Taxi driver
- Vanda Gréville: Vanda
- Odette Talazac: singer
- Pedro Elviro: Director
- Jane Pierson: dealer
- André Michaud: Butcher
- Eugène Stuber: policeman
- Pierre Alcover: policeman
- Armand Bernard: Conductor
The Million ( Original title: Le Million ). 's A French film comedy with musical comedy elements from the year 1931 as a literary work the writer-director René Clair was a play by Georges Berr and Marcel Guillemaud.
Action
Paris 1930: The Artist Michel Bouflette is in financial trouble. However, this does not prevent him from flirting with the American Vanda and pretend her he would be wealthy and have a servant. His fiancée Béatrice, who lives in the same house, which does not look like and finally runs away angry. But Vanda lets him packing. When his creditors gather in his home and finally want to have their money, he goes to Béatrice, to hide with her. His followers, however, remain close on his heels. An elderly man, the grandfather Tulipe is called, is also tracked and found in Béatrice shelter. He is putting on an old jacket of Michel and Béatrice asks to be allowed to keep them.
Meanwhile, Michel learns to his great relief, that he won in the lottery a million Dutch guilders. His lot is but just in the pocket of his jacket, at which grandfather Tulipe just sneaks out of the house. Béatrice meanwhile goes to the theater to rehearse as a ballerina an appearance. When she returns home, she meets Vanda, which is rushed to Michel after she had heard that he had become a millionaire. Michel finds out that his jacket is in Béatrices apartment any longer. His friend Prosper wants to help him in finding the jacket, but insists that Michel shares the profit with him. Béatrice finally falls in the address again, which had called Tulipe her grandfather, he should be able to return the favor for their help someday.
Grandfather Tulipe, however, has the jacket sold to the opera singer Ambrosio Sopranelli who wants to wear them in a production of Les Bohemians. As Michel grandfather Tulipe visits and the jacket back calls, it is held and arrested by a police officer for criminal Tulipe. As Prosper in the police station appears to identify Michel, he acts as if he did not know Michel. While Prosper goes to Vanda and told her soon to be very rich, Michel is released from custody. With Béatrice he goes to the opera to steal Sopranelli the jacket including lottery ticket. Even Prosper and Vanda try it. Both Vanda and Béatrice it does not succeed in obtaining finance in soprano Ellis wardrobe to the jacket without the tenor noticed. As Vanda to zoom makes to Michel, Béatrice again passes it. Michel follows her and they both end up on the stage when the show begins. They hide behind a spontaneous props where they are reconciled with each other while Sopranelli with his partner submits a duet.
Behind the scenes also grandfather Tulipe, which Béatrice promises to get the jacket for it appears. In a dramatic scene of the performance, when Sopranelli pulls out another jacket, Michel, Prosper and more instructed by Tulipe men are among the extras, all the jacket want to get hold of now and this here tear off the sleeves. After the first act of the performance actually looking jacket is thrown in turmoil by mistake to the window. She lands on the roof of a passing taxi. Eben This taxi driver then Michel and Béatrice home. As Michel discovered the jacket on the car roof, it is immediately taken from him by grandfather Tulipes men again. In Michel's apartment, meanwhile, its creditors and neighbors have gathered to celebrate at his expense his lottery winnings. When the creditors finally want to see the lot, Michel sends to tell at all that he has no more. At the same moment grandfather Tulipe comes in with the jacket to the door. However, the lot is no longer in your pocket. As a grandfather Tulipe instead the Los pulls out of his jacket pocket, Béatrice Michel falls happily in his arms and all begin to dance merrily.
Background
For director René Clair was The Million by Under the Roofs of Paris, the second sound film of his career. However, it did put less emphasis on the dialogues and rather tried to use the sound for comedic elements and for the matters raised in the film songs best.
The Million premiered on April 15, 1931 in Paris. On 12 May 1931, the film was also in the German cinemas. On April 18, 1984, he was first shown on German television NDR.
Reviews
Mordaunt Hall of the New York Times praised the cast and was of the opinion that The Million " far more brilliant " than Clair's Under the Roofs of Paris. No matter how you even call the film, whether as a "musical farce or melodic operetta ," he offers " sparkling entertainment." It would involve " a mixture of farce, burlesque, travesty and satire", which was completed with " witty joke". Variety described the film of its time as " visionary " and "very entertaining ". The directing, the camera work and the sound are " excellent".
Film critic Leonard Maltin described the film in retrospect as " charming, droll and innovative jewel of Clair ". The film makes " still as much fun as when it was first published ." For the lexicon of international film was The Million " [e ] in comedic singing game that still captivates with cheerful irony and weightless poetry and is distinguished by its timeless human spirit." According to Cinema preparing the film " [g ] rößtes pleasure with the simplest means ."