La Belle Equipe [They Were Five] ***** (1936, Jean Gabin, Charles Vanel, Viviane Romance) – Classic Movie Review 12,593

Director Julien Duvivier’s superb 1936 French black and white drama film La Belle Equipe [They Were Five] stars Jean Gabin, Charles Vanel, and Viviane Romance.

Jean Gabin, Charles Vanel, Raphaël Médina, Charles Dorat and Raymond Aimos play the five unemployed worker buddies in Paris who use their national lottery jackpot winnings to refurbish and manage a riverside inn until one of their wives throws a spanner in the works and their solidarity proves fragile.

Julien Duvivier beautifully orchestrates his tasty ingredients – the great Gabin, script (Charles Spaak, Julien Duvivier), photography (Jules Krüger, Marc Fossard), Marne locations and the jaunty score (Maurice Yvain) – into a gorgeous lyrical delight. Viviane Romance makes a strong impression as Charlot’s faithless wife Gina, who not only wants to grab Charlot’s share of the winnings but easily seduces Jeannot too.

This superb 1930s movie is one of the best French films of its day.

Also in the cast are Robert Lynen, Raymond Cordy, and Micheline Cheirel.

Jeannot (Jean Gabin), Jacques (Charles Dorat) and Tintin (Raymond Aimos) are bachelors. Charlot (Charles Vanel) has left his faithless wife Gina (Viviane Romance), while Mario (Raphaël Médina) is an illegal immigrant from Spain who has got engaged to Huguette (Micheline Cheirel).

Viviane Romance (born Pauline Ronacher Ortmanns; 4 July 1912 – 25 September 1991) made her film debut in 1931 with a small role in La Chienne (1931) before making a strong impression in La belle équipe (1936). From then till the late 1950s she was a leading French star, playing a gallery of femme fatales, fallen women and vamps. Duvivier cast her again in Panique (1946),

The cast are Jean Gabin as Jeannot, Charles Vanel as Charlot, Raymond Aimos as Tintin, Charles Dorat as Jacques, Raphaël Médina as Mario, Micheline Cheirel as Mario’s fiancée Huguette, Viviane Romance as Charlot’s wife Gina, Marcelle Géniat as Huguette’s grandmother, Fernand Charpin as policeman Antomarchi, Raymond Cordy as the drunkard, and Robert Lynen.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,593

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