Marcel Paul Pagnol was a French novelist, playwright, and filmmaker. Regarded as an auteur, in 1946, he became the first filmmaker elected to the Académie française. Pagnol is generally regarded as one of France's greatest 20th-century writers and is notable for the fact that he excelled in almost every medium—memoir, novel, drama and film.
Jean Giono was a French writer who wrote works of fiction mostly set in the Provence region of France.
The Baker's Wife is a 1938 French comedic drama film directed by Marcel Pagnol and featuring an ensemble cast lead by Raimu, Ginette Leclerc, and Fernand Charpin. It was adapted by Pagnol from a episode of French author Jean Giono's 1932 novel Blue Boy. In the film, the new baker in a Provençal village loses the will to bake after his wife runs off with a handsome shepherd, so, to regain their daily bread, the feuding villagers agree to put aside their bickering and work together to bring back the baker's wife.
Topaze is a 1928 play in four acts by the French writer Marcel Pagnol. It tells the story of a modest school teacher who is fired for being too honest and decides to become a dishonest businessman. The play premiered on 9 October 1928 at the Théâtre des Variétés. It was performed on Broadway in 1930 with Frank Morgan in the title role.
Marius is a 1931 French romantic drama film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Raimu, Pierre Fresnay, Orane Demazis, Fernand Charpin, and Alida Rouffe. Based on the 1929 play of the same name by Marcel Pagnol, it is the first part of the Marseille Trilogy, which also includes the films Fanny (1932) and César (1936). The film was made for the French subsidiary of Paramount Pictures. A separate Swedish-language version, titled Longing for the Sea and directed by John W. Brunius, was also released in 1931, and a German-language version, titled The Golden Anchor and also directed by Korda, was released the following year.
Gabriel Gabrio was a French stage and film actor whose career began in cinema in the silent film era of the 1920s and spanned more than two decades. Gabrio is possibly best remembered for his roles as Jean Valjean in the 1925 Henri Fescourt-directed adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, Cesare Borgia in the 1935 Abel Gance-directed biopic Lucrèce Borgia and as Carlos in the 1937 Julien Duvivier-directed gangster film Pépé le Moko, opposite Jean Gabin.
Angèle is a 1934 French drama film directed, produced and written by Marcel Pagnol, based on the 1929 novel Un de Baumugnes by Jean Giono. It stars Orane Demazis.
Fanny is a 1932 French romantic drama film directed by Marc Allégret and starring Raimu, Pierre Fresnay, Orane Demazis, Fernand Charpin, and Alida Rouffe. Based on the 1931 play of the same name by Marcel Pagnol, it is the second part of the Marseille Trilogy, which began with Marius (1931) and concluded with César (1936). The film was shot both at the Billancourt Studios in Paris and on location in Marseille, with sets designed by the art director Gabriel Scognamillo. Like Marius, Fanny was a box office success in France and is still considered to be a classic of French cinema.
César is a 1936 French romantic drama film written and directed by Marcel Pagnol and starring Raimu, Pierre Fresnay, Fernand Charpin, Orane Demazis, and André Fouché. It is the final film in Pagnol's Marseille Trilogy, which began with Marius (1931) and continued with Fanny (1932). Unlike the other two films in the trilogy, César was not based on a play by Pagnol, but was written directly as a film script. In 1946, Pagnol adapted the script for the film as a stage play.
Marguerite Moreno was a French stage and film actress.
Berlingot and Company is a 1939 French comedy film directed by Fernand Rivers and starring Fernandel, Suzy Prim and Fernand Charpin. It was shot at Marcel Pagnol's Marseille Studios. The film's sets were designed by the art director René Renoux.
Orane Demazis was a French actress.
Jofroi is a 1934 French drama film directed by Marcel Pagnol and starring Vincent Scotto. It tells the story of a man who has sold his orchard. When the new owner wants to cut the trees down, the former owner threatens with suicide. The film is based on the short story "Jofroi de la Maussan" by Jean Giono, which appears in the collection of his short stories The Solitude of Compassion.
Second Harvest is a 1930 novel by the French writer Jean Giono. The narrative is set in a nearly abandoned village, where the last heir succeeds to find love in a woman who saves him from a river.
Lovers Are Never Losers is a 1929 novel by the French writer Jean Giono. It tells a love story set in rural France in the early 20th century. It is the standalone second entry in Giono's Pan trilogy; it was preceded by Colline and followed by Second Harvest. It was published in English in 1931, translated by Jacques Le Clercq.
Heartbeat is a 1938 French comedy film directed by Marcel Pagnol and starring Fernandel, Orane Demazis and Fernand Charpin. It was remade in 1999 as Le schpountz, directed by Gérard Oury.
Gigolette is a 1937 French drama film directed by Yvan Noé and starring Florelle, Gabriel Gabrio and Rosine Deréan. The film's sets were designed by the art director Jean Douarinou.
Alexandre Arnaudy was a French actor, born Marius Guarino on July 17, 1881 in Marseille, where he died on November 1, 1969.
The Pan trilogy consists of three novels by the French writer Jean Giono, published in 1929–1930. The stand-alone stories are set in Provence and revolve the struggles of the peasant population. Two of the novels were made into films in the 1930s by Marcel Pagnol.
Fanny is a 1931 play by the French writer Marcel Pagnol. It is the sequel to the 1929 play Marius and the second part in Pagnol's Marseilles trilogy.
