Madeline: Lost in Paris

Last updated
Madeline: Lost in Paris
Directed byStan Phillips
Written by
Based on Madeline
by Ludwig Bemelmans
Produced by
  • Stan Phillips
  • Riley Kathryn Ellis
Starring
Narrated by Christopher Plummer
Music byAndy Street
Production
company
Distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment [lower-alpha 1] [1]
Release date
  • August 3, 1999 (1999-08-03)
[2]
Running time
75 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Madeline: Lost in Paris is a 1999 American direct-to-video animated musical adventure comedy-drama film produced by DIC Entertainment, L.P. It was released on August 3, 1999, to VHS by Buena Vista Home Video under the Walt Disney Home Video imprint. In 2009, the film was released on iTunes for the film's 10th anniversary.

Contents

Plot

Madeline, an orphaned girl who attends a Parisian boarding school, receives a letter in the mail from her long-lost Uncle Horst from Vienna, who is planning on a visit. He arrives at the school later that week, where he announces that he has been designated Madeline's new legal guardian (shows the court papers to Miss Clavel, her teacher). Horst plans on taking her to his hometown Vienna, to attend a fine finishing school, and plan on leaving the following day via the Orient Express. Madeline and her classmates react with shock, elation, and sadness.

When Uncle Horst and his niece set off the next morning, he takes Madeline on the Paris Métro, rather than the Orient Express, to an unfamiliar part of the town ravaged with poverty and crime. Realizing she is being kidnapped, Madeline throws beads of her mother's treasured necklace to make a trail to where she is taken to. It is then revealed that Uncle Horst is not Madeline's uncle, but a Frenchman named Henri, who works for Madame LaCroque, the owner of a lace shop/factory. Henri takes Madeline to the lace shop's basement, full of orphan girls who are forced into making laces to sell. One of the girls, Fifi, befriends Madeline. It is then revealed that Madeline's court custody papers were forged by Madame LaCroque, and that the criminal duo plan to steal her family inheritance as she labors in the factory.

Shortly after Madeline left, Miss Clavel, the girls, and Pepito tried to stop her and Horst so that Pepito could give her his Halloween parting gift: a shrunken head from Brazil. They arrive at the train station, only to learn that the two had taken the Métro, not the Orient Express. They also find Genevieve abandoned at the station. Fearing the worst, Miss Clavel enlists the police to help them rescue Madeline.

At the lace shop, the child workers endure enormous amounts of emotional and physical abuse at the hands of LaCroque. Fifi tells Madeline of how LaCroque was once a cabaret dancer who experienced a performance disaster. In total humiliation, she stopped performing and sold her long hair to make lace. She and Henri then gained legal custody of all the orphan girls. Rather than taking care of them (as she promised to the courts), she uses them as her miserable slaves.

Through following the trail of Madeline's beads, Madeline's classmates and Pepito find their way to the factory. Pepito uses his shrunken head to first knock off LaCroque's wig from outside the window (revealing her bald head), and then frighten her to the ground. Meanwhile, Miss Clavel and the police catch Henri walking through the streets of Paris, planning to sell-off Madeline's belongings. Through a plea bargain deal, Henri agrees to lead them to the lace factory, in exchange for a lighter punishment. Madeline and all of her friends are able to tie up LaCroque in endless rolls of lace just as the police arrive with Henri and Miss Clavel. Henri makes one last attempt to escape, only to be tripped by Pepito's spool trick, allowing the girls to tangle him up as well. The criminal duo are arrested by the police and taken away. The factory girls, however, still have no place to call home.

Madeline receives a substantial financial reward for LaCroque's capture, and she uses it to start a school for her lace factory coworkers. The girls from both schools rejoice in the fact that they are all one whole family.

Production

In March 1999, the film was announced as the first project from DIC's new "video premieres" division. [3]

DVD releases

Shout! Factory released the film on DVD on April 3, 2010. [4] It was released in Australia in 2013 by Umbrella Entertainment. [5] [6]

Voice cast

Songs

Reception

William David Lee of DVD Town, criticized the special for its "not very memorable" songs and "simplistic and predictable" story. He did, however, recommend the film for young children audience. [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Naughty Marietta</i> (film) 1935 American operetta film

Naughty Marietta is a 1935 American romantic musical film based on the 1910 operetta of the same name by Victor Herbert. Jeanette MacDonald stars as a princess who flees an arranged marriage. She sails for New Orleans and is rescued from pirates by Captain Richard Warrington. Five of Herbert's most famous songs come from the score of Naughty Marietta, with words by lyricist Rida Johnson Young: "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life", "Italian Street Song", "Neath the Southern Moon", "I'm Falling in Love with Someone" and "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! ". Additional lyrics for several of Herbert's songs were penned for the film by Gus Kahn. The film was written by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, John Lee Mahin and Rida Johnson Young.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madeline Kahn</span> American actress (1942–1999)

Madeline Gail Kahn was an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is known for comedic roles in films directed by Peter Bogdanovich and Mel Brooks, including What's Up, Doc? (1972), Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), High Anxiety (1977), History of the World, Part I (1981), and her Academy Award–nominated role in Paper Moon (1973).

<i>Belle de Jour</i> (film) 1967 film by Luis Buñuel

Belle de Jour is a 1967 French surrealist erotic psychological drama film directed by Luis Buñuel, and starring Catherine Deneuve, Jean Sorel, and Michel Piccoli. Based on the 1928 novel Belle de Jour by Joseph Kessel, the film is about a young woman who spends her midweek afternoons as a high-class prostitute, while her husband is at work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ludwig Bemelmans</span> Author of Madeline books (1898-1962)

Ludwig Bemelmans was an Austrian-American writer and illustrator of children's books and adult novels. He is known best for the Madeline picture books. Six were published, the first in 1939.

<i>Sabrina: The Animated Series</i> American animated television series

Sabrina: The Animated Series is an American animated television series based on the Archie Comics series Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Produced by Savage Studios Ltd. and Hartbreak Films in association with DIC Productions, L.P., the series is an animated spin-off of the 1996–2003 live-action series Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

<i>Madeline</i> Childrens media franchise

Madeline is a media franchise that originated as a series of children's books written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans, an Austrian-American author. The books have been adapted into numerous formats, spawning telefilms, television series and a live action feature film. As a closing line, the adaptations invoke a famous phrase Ethel Barrymore used to rebuff curtain calls, "That's all there is, there isn't any more". The stories take place in a Catholic boarding school in Paris. The teacher, named Miss Clavel, is strict but loves the children, cares for them, and is open to their ideas.

<i>Kirikou and the Sorceress</i> 1998 animated film by Michel Ocelot

Kirikou and the Sorceress is a 1998 French-language animated adventure fantasy film written and directed by Michel Ocelot. Drawn from elements of West African folk tales, it depicts how a newborn boy, Kirikou, saves his village from the evil witch Karaba. The film was originally released on 9 December 1998. It is a co-production between companies in France, Belgium and Luxembourg and animated at Rija Films' studio in Latvia and Studio Exist in Hungary.

What-a-Mess is a series of children's books written by British comedy writer Frank Muir and illustrated by Joseph Wright. The title character is a dishevelled, accident-prone Afghan Hound puppy, whose real name is Prince Amir of Kinjan. The book series was later made into two animated series, both narrated by Muir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silvia Monfort</span> French actress

Silvia Monfort was a French actress and theatre director. She was the daughter of the sculptor Charles-Maurice Favre-Bertin and the wife of Pierre Gruneberg. She was named a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1973, an Officer of Arts and Letters in 1979 and Commander of Arts and Letters in 1983. She is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery.

Anacaona is the name of an all-female orchestra, founded in Havana in the early 1930s by Concepción "Cuchito" Castro Zaldarriaga and her sisters. Eventually, all 11 sisters joined the band. The band was formed during the Machado era when the political situation led to university closings, forcing Cuchito Castro to abandon her studies and her plan to start a dental practice. Instead, she chose a different career in 1932 by proposing a female septet to challenge the male-dominated son music. At the time, it was believed women were not capable of playing son. The band enjoyed close musical ties with well-known Cuban performers, in particular with Ignacio Piñeiro and Lázaro Herrera of the Septeto Nacional. Graciela, whose brother Machito laid the foundations of Latin Jazz, was Anacaona's lead singer for a decade.

Madeline is an animated preschool television series produced by DIC Entertainment, L.P., part of the Madeline media franchise. It began as a series of six television specials from 1988 to 1991, and then continued as Madeline and The New Adventures of Madeline from 1993 to 2001. The show is narrated by Christopher Plummer.

<i>Madeline and the Bad Hat</i> 1956 book by Ludwig Bemelmans

Madeline and the Bad Hat is a children's picture book by Ludwig Bemelmans. It features the popular children's character Madeline. It was first published by Viking Press in 1956.

<i>Madeline and the Gypsies</i> 1959 childrens book by Ludwig Bemelmans

Madeline and the Gypsies is a children's picture book by Ludwig Bemelmans featuring Bemelman's popular character Madeline. It was first published in 1959 by Viking Press under the Viking Juvenile imprint.

<i>Marquis de Sade: Justine</i> 1968 film by Jesús Franco

Marquis de Sade: Justine is a 1969 erotic period drama film directed by Jesús Franco, written and produced by Harry Alan Towers, and based on the 1791 novel Justine by the Marquis de Sade. It stars Romina Power as the title character, with Maria Rohm, Klaus Kinski, Akim Tamiroff, Harald Leipnitz, Rosemary Dexter, Horst Frank, Sylva Koscina and Mercedes McCambridge.

Madeline is a book series, part of the Madeline media franchise, originally created by Ludwig Bemelmans. The series follows the daily adventures of Madeline, a seven-year-old girl attending a boarding school in Paris with eleven other girls, under the care of their teacher, Miss Clavel.

<i>Madeline</i> (1998 film) 1998 French film

Madeline is a 1998 family comedy film adaptation of the children's book series and animated television series of the same name. The film starred newcomer Hatty Jones as the titular character with Frances McDormand and Nigel Hawthorne in supporting roles as Miss Clavel and Lord Covington respectively. The film encompasses the plots of four Madeline books. It was released on July 10, 1998 by TriStar Pictures.

<i>Madeline</i> (book) 1939 childrens book by Ludwig Bemelmans

Madeline is a 1939 book written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans, the first in the book series of six, later expanded by the author's grandson to 17, which inspired the Madeline media franchise. Inspired by the life experiences of its author/illustrator, the book is considered one of the major classics of children's literature through the age range of 3 to 8 years old. The book is known for its rhyme scheme and colorful images of Paris, with an appeal to both children and adults.

<i>The Cat Shows Her Claws</i> 1960 film

The Cat Shows Her Claws is a 1960 French war drama film directed by Henri Decoin and starring Françoise Arnoul, Horst Frank and François Guérin. It was shot at the Billancourt Studios in Paris and on location around Paris including Montmartre. It is the sequel to the 1958 film The Cat about the French Resistance.

<i>Nathalie, Secret Agent</i> 1959 film

Nathalie, Secret Agent is a 1959 French-Italian comedy thriller film directed by Henri Decoin and starring Martine Carol, Félix Marten and Darío Moreno. It is a sequel to the 1957 film Nathalie starring Carol in the title role with Dany Saval also reprising her role as Pivoine. It was shot at the Billancourt Studios in Paris. The film's sets were designed by the art director Robert Clavel.

References

  1. ↑ McCormick, Moira (1999-06-12). Buena Vista to Roll Out Promotions for End-Of-'99 Releases. p. 67. Retrieved 2019-07-09.{{cite book}}: |magazine= ignored (help)
  2. ↑ McCormick, Moira (1999-06-12). Buena Vista to Roll Out Promotions for End-Of-'99 Releases. p. 67. Retrieved 2019-07-09.{{cite book}}: |magazine= ignored (help)
  3. ↑ "DIC taps Ellis". Variety . Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  4. ↑ "The Madeline Movie: Lost In Paris". Amazon.com . 13 April 2010. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  5. ↑ "Madeline Lost in Paris". Amazon.com . 12 November 2013. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  6. ↑ "MADELINE LOST IN PARIS |DVD & Blu-Ray". umbrellaent.com.au. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  7. ↑ William David Lee (2010-04-17). "Madeline Movie, The: Lost In Paris - DVD review". dvdtown.com. p. 2. Archived from the original on 2010-09-25. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.