Elena and Her Men [Elena et les hommes] *** (1956, Ingrid Bergman, Jean Marais, Mel Ferrer, Jean Richard, Magali Noël, Juliette Greco) – Classic Movie Review 6513

Writer-director Renoir’s artificial 1956 film with its broad send-up of Polish countess’s suitors such as French radical party candidate Général François Rollan (Jean Marais), dilettante Le comte Henri de Chevincourt (Mel Ferrer) and wealthy boot magnate Hector (Jean Richard) did not go down well with either the public or the critics at the time. But now it seems to be a valuable, entertaining, attractively romantic movie. It is poignantly set in a pre-World War One Paris.

Renoir recalled: ‘For a long time I had been dying to make a film with Ingrid Bergman. I wanted to see her laughing and smiling on the screen.’

And indeed the great French director captures the beguiling gaiety of the often gloomily portrayed Swedish star as Elena Sokorowska, the much-admired Polish countess living in Paris.

Also in the cast are Juliette Greco as gypsy girl Miarka, Magali Noël, Pierre Bertin, Jean Claudio, Jean Castanier, Elina Labourdette, Frédéric Duvalles, Dora Doll, Mirko Ellis, Jacques Hilling, Jacques Morel, Jacques Jouanneau, Renaud Mary, Gaston Modot, Albert Rémy and Olga Valérie.

It is shot by Claude Renoir, produced by Louis Wipf, scored by Joseph Kosma and designed by Jean André.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6513

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