Madame Sans-Gêne [Madame] ** (1961, Sophia Loren, Robert Hossein, Julien Bertheau, Renaud Mary, Léa Gray, Gianrico Tedeschi, Marina Berti) – Classic Movie Review 12,788

The 1961 Euro romance film Madame Sans-Gêne [Madame] is an attractive but sluggish remake of a famous 1893 hit play, and stars Sophia Loren as a Paris laundress who follows Napoleon’s army to the battlefront to be near her lover.

Director Christian-Jaque’s 1961 Euro romance film Madame Sans-Gêne [Madame] is an attractive but sluggish reworking of the now lost 1925 Gloria Swanson silent film Madame Sans-Gêne. The film is based on the 1893 play by Victorien Sardou and Émile Moreau, and stars Sophia Loren, Robert Hossein, Julien Bertheau, Renaud Mary, Léa Gray, Gianrico Tedeschi, and Marina Berti.

Madame Sans-Gêne has its charms, mostly thanks to the beautiful colour and widescreen production and lively actors, but it lacks power as either a romance or historical re-creation.

However, Sophia Loren, at around her peak, gives it some vivacious bright spark as the out-spoken French laundry lady Catherine Hübscher, who follows the French army to the battlefront and gets the help of Napoleon (Julien Bertheau) in her love affair with army Sergeant Lefevre (Robert Hossein), clawing her way to noble rank after the war when the now married couple become duke and duchess.

It also greatly helps that is it made on a large budget, with lavish period sets and lovely costumes designed for Loren by Marcel Escoffier and Itala Scandariato.

Madame Sans-Gêne is a 1961 Spanish-Italian-French co-production.

It is shot by Roberto Gerardi in Eastmancolor and Technirama.

It was released in Europe in 1961, and in the US by Embassy Pictures on 13 February 1963.

Also in the cast are Enrique Avila, Carlo Giuffré, Fernando Sancho, Bruno Carotenuto, Gabriella Pallotta, Laura Valnzuela, Silvia Solar, Analia Gadé, and Célina Cély.

It had a 2K digital restoration in 2019 by Gaumont through the Eclair and Diapason laboratories.

The 1893 play Madame Sans-Gêne by Victorien Sardou and Émile Moreau was very popular. It is based on the real life of Catherine Hübscher, born in Goldbach-Altenbach (Haut-Rhin) in 1753. She became known as Madame Sans-Gêne (Mrs No Embarrassment) because of her behaviour. The role was played on stage by Réjane, in France, England and New York and she also brought it to the screen twice, in 1900 and 1911.

Film versions: Madame Sans-Gêne (1900 and 1911 films starring Gabrielle Réjane); Madame Sans-Gêne (1925 film starring Gloria Swanson); Madame Sans-Gêne (1941 film with Arletty directed by Roger Richebé); Madame Sans-Gêne (1945 film featuring José Maurer); Madame Sans-Gêne (1961 film starring Sophia Loren).

Madame Sans-Gêne was also a 1915 opera by Umberto Giordano, which had its world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera in 1915.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,788

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