The Count of Monte Cristo (1961 film)

The Count of Monte Cristo
French theatrical release poster
Directed by	Claude Autant-Lara
Written by	Jean Halain (adaptation et dialogue)
Based on	Alexandre Dumas (d'apres le roman d') (as Alexandre Dumas Père)
Produced by	René Modiano Jean Jacques Vital Alain Poiré
Starring	Louis Jourdan Yvonne Furneaux Pierre Mondy Franco Silva
Cinematography	Jean Isnard Jacques Natteau
Edited by	Madeleine Gug
Music by	René Cloërec
Production companies	Cineriz Les Films J.J. Vital Les Productions Rene Modiano Royal Société Nouvelle des Établissements Gaumont Seven Arts Productions
Distributed by	Gaumont Distribution
Release date	6 December 1961 (1961-12-06)
Running time	188 minutes
Country	France
Language	French
Box office	$33.6 million [1]

The Count of Monte Cristo (French: Le comte de Monte Cristo, US: The Story of the Count of Monte Cristo) is a 1961 French adventure film version of Alexandre Dumas' 1844 novel directed by Claude Autant-Lara and starring Louis Jourdan, Yvonne Furneaux, Pierre Mondy and Franco Silva.

Plot

Edmund Dantes is falsely accused by those jealous of his good fortune, and is sentenced to spend the rest of his life in the notorious island prison, Chateau d'if. There, a prisoner tells Edmund of a fantastic treasure hidden away on a tiny island.

Cast

• Louis Jourdan as Edmond Dantès / Comte de Monte Cristo
• Yvonne Furneaux as Mercédès
• Pierre Mondy as Caderousse
• Franco Silva as Mario
• Bernard Dhéran as Le procureur Henri de Villefort
• Roldano Lupi as Morel
• Claudine Coster as Haydée
• Jean Martinelli as Vidocq
• Marie Mergey as Madame Caderousse
• Yves Rénier as Albert de Mortcerf
• Alain Ferral as Benedetto (as Alain Feral)
• Jean-Jacques Delbo as Himself
• José Squinquel as Himself
• Geymond Vital as Himself
• Henri Arius as Himself (as Arius)
• Jacques Dynam as Himself
• André Dalibert as Himself
• Georges Lannes as Le président
• Paul Amiot as Le président de la Chambre des pairs
• Marthe Marty as Himself
• Chantal de Rieux as Himself
• Jean-Claude Michel as Fernand de Mortcerf
• Henri Vilbert as Danyès - le père d'Edmond
• Henri Guisol as L'abbé Faria

Reception

The film was the seventh most popular film at the French box office in 1961. The sixth most popular was a version of The Three Musketeers . ^[2]

The film was made with some finance from Seven Arts Productions and was released by Warner Bros. ^{[3] [4]}

Variety wrote the producers "have spared little expense in mounting a pictorially rich and dramatically expansive reproduction of the story...But one vital miscaiculation strips their effort-of sufficient appeal for the bulk of the: modern audience. In adhering rigidiy to the plodding, stilted and weighty melodramatic style reasonably fashionable in less suphisticated by gone times, the creators of this version have failed to sense, or refused to reckon with, the realistic requirements of modern screen." ^[5]

References

1. "Le Comte de Monte Cristo (1961) (1961) - JPBox-Office".
2. French box office for 1961 at Box Office Story
3. "7 Arts developing muscle". Variety. 18 July 1962. p. 5, 15.
4. "Kroftts puppets move to Hollywood". The Los Angeles Times. 16 March 1962. p. 15 Part 4.
5. "The Story of the Count of Monte Cristo". Variety. 13 June 1962. p. 7.

External links

• The Count of Monte Cristo at IMDb