Dédée d’Anvers [Woman of Antwerp] ***** (1948, Simone Signoret, Marcello Pagliero, Bernard Blier, Marcel Dalio) – Classic Movie Review 8740

Simone Signoret makes her first big mark in French cinema with her role in director Yves Allégret’s 1948 Dédée d’Anvers [Woman of Antwerp] as the Antwerp hooker Dédée, who is enthralled by an Italian sailor, ship’s captain Francesco (Marcel Pagliero, aka Marcello Pagliero), she meets where she works in the nightclub bar owned by Monsieur René (Bernard Blier) and upsets her man, pimp Marco (Marcel Dalio).

Signoret is superb in her first husband Yves Allégret’s wonderfully atmospheric peek at the passions of love set against Antwerp’s sea-front brothel life, which is one of the most celebrated examples of the postwar French film noir. It is based on the novel by Henri La Barthe (aka Ashelbé)

Dédée d’Anvers [Woman of Antwerp] is directed by Yves Allégret, runs 100 minutes, is made by Films Sacha Gordine, is released by Agence Générale Cinématographique (1948) and Les Films Vog (1949) (US), is written by Yves Allégret and Jacques Sigurd, based on the novel by Henri La Barthe (aka Ashelbé), is shot in black and white by Jean Bourgoin, is produced by Sacha Gordine and André Paulvé, is scored by Jacques Besse and is designed by Georges Wakhevitch.

Also in the cast are Jane Marken, Marcel Dieudonné, Mia Mendelson, Marcelle Arnold, Claude Farell, Denise Clair, Gabriel Gobin and Jo Van Cottom.

It is shot at Franstudio, Joinville-le-pont, Val-de-Marne, France.

Signoret was married to Yves Allégret (27 July 1948 – 23 February 1951) (divorced, with one child, Catherine Allégret) and then to Yves Montand (22 December 1951 – 30 September 1985) (her death).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8740

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