Le Silence Est d’Or [Man About Town] *** (1947, Maurice Chevalier, François Périer, Marcelle Derrien) – Classic Movie Review 10,236

Set around the turn of the last century (it is 1910), writer/ producer/ director René Clair’s mildly charming 1947 Le Silence Est d’Or [Silence Is Golden] [Man About Town] is his first movie back home in France after 10 years of exile.

It tells the story of an ageing movie producer, Emile Clément (Maurice Chevalier), and his young friend and helper Jacques Francet (François Périer), who have both madly fallen for the identical woman, Madeleine Célestin (Marcelle Derrien). But then Jacques meets Lucette (Dany Robin) and falls for her instead.

A fairly unremarkable, even banal story does not get very far, but the carefully researched and detailed evocation of the period is superb, and Chevalier (trilling ‘Place Pigalle’ and ‘Pour les Amants c’est tous les Jours Dimanches’) is on fine, ingratiating form.

Also in the cast are Christiane Sertilange, Roland Armontel, Raymond Cordy, Max Dalban, Gaston Modot, Paul Ollivier, and Paul Demange.

Le Silence Est d’Or [Silence Is Golden] [Man About Town] is directed by René Clair, runs 106 minutes, is made by Pathé Consortium Cinéma and RKO Radio Pictures, is released by Pathé Consortium Cinéma (1947) (France), RKO Radio Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed) and RKO Radio Pictures (1948) (UK), is written by René Clair (scenario and dialogue), is shot in black and white  by Armand Thirard, is produced by René Clair and is scored by Georges Van Parys, with Production Design by Léon Barsacq.

It is filmed at Studios Pathé-Cinéma, 6 Rue Francoeur, Paris 18.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,236

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