French without Tears *** (1940, Ray Milland, Ellen Drew, Janine Darcey) – Classic Movie Review 7576

Terence Rattigan’s famous 1936 play about adult British pupils at a language cramming school in the south of France has lost a little wit on its way to the cinema. It follows the love affairs of three young Englishmen (Ray Milland, David Tree, Kenneth Morgan) when the sister of one of them arrives to flirt with all of her brothers’ friends.

Director Anthony Asquith’s 1940 comedy French without Tears is still a pleasing little entertainment though, thanks to the bubbly playing of Ray Milland, David Tree and Kenneth Morgan and (particularly) Ronald Culver as Commander Bill Rogers and Guy Middleton as Brian Curtis, both from the London stage production.

Maybe grown-ups behaving like chauvinist schoolkids in the face of French is not that funny any more, and time has not been kind to the production. But the film still amuses thanks to the polished, professional work from director Asquith and the scriptwriters, Terence Rattigan, Anatole de Grunwald and Ian Dalrymple.

Marlene Dietrich was supposed to play Diana Lake, the sister of one of the men, Kenneth Lake (Kenneth Morgan), and, though weird casting, it is a shame she did not because Ellen Drew cannot cut it in the role. Also, with Dietrich, the film would be remembered.

Also in the cast are Janine Darcey, Jim Gérard, Toni Gable and Margaret Yarde. Mantovani appears as Himself, the Orchestra Leader, and Stella Roberts is the vocalist of the Mantovani Orchestra.

It was a success, and Rattigan and de Grunwald followed it up with English Without Tears (1944).

French without Tears is directed by Anthony Asquith, runs 85 minutes (67 minutes shortened version), is made by Two Cities Films, is released by Paramount, is written by Terence Rattigan, Anatole de Grunwald and Ian Dalrymple, based Terence Rattigan’s play, is shot in black and white by Bernard Knowles and Jack Hildyard, is produced by David E Rose and Mario Zampi, is scored by Nicholas Brodszky (and Clive Richardson) and is designed by Paul Sheriff. David Lean is the film editor.

It was shot far from France in Shepperton Studios, Surrey, England.

It began a working relationship between Asquith and Rattigan that lasted over the next 15 years, collaborating on ten films, including The Winslow Boy (1948) and The Browning Version (1951).

The cast are Ray Milland as Alan Howard, Ellen Drew as Diana Lake, Janine Darcey as Jacqueline Maingot, David Tree as Chris Neilan, Roland Culver as Commander Bill Rogers, Guy Middleton as Brian Curtis, Kenneth Morgan as Kenneth Lake, Margaret Yarde as Marianne, Toni Gable as Chi-Chi, Jim Gérald as Professor Maingot, and Mantovani as Himself, the Orchestra Leader.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7576

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