Claude Autant-Lara directed Devil in the Flesh (French: Le diable au corps), a French romantic drama based on the 1923 novel of the same name by Raymond Radiguet.
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Theatrical release poster
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The film stars Micheline Presle and Gérard Philipe, with Palau, Jean Varas, Jacques Tati, Denise Grey and Jean Debucourt in supporting roles.
In France during World War I, nurse Marthe waits for her husband, Jacques, while he fights on the front lines.
A lonely woman named Marthe begins a tempestuous affair with 17-year-old François, with whom she had a dalliance before marrying her husband Jacques.
The jealous hotheaded François struggles with the fact that Marthe is a mature married femme, while she goes out of her way to prove her devotion to him as her lover.
Things become even more complex when Marthe becomes pregnant with François’ baby.
The movie’s appeal was based on Micheline Presle’s popularity, and it catapulted the status of Gerard Philip as France’s hottest leading man.
However, unlike Presle who lived to be over 100, Gerard Philip died young, age 35, at the prime of his career.
The scandalous film was extremely popular at the global box-office. In France alone, it attracted massive audience of close to five, million admissions.
In the US, where it was released 2 years later, the National Board of Review (NBR) named it the fifth best film of 1949.
Cast
Micheline Presle as Marthe Grangier
Gérard Philipe as François Jaubert
Denise Grey as Madame Grangier
Jean Debucourt as Monsieur Jaubert
Palau as Monsieur Marin
Jean Varas as Jacques Lacombe
Michel François as Rene
Richard Francoeur as the receptionist
Max Maxudian as the principal
Germaine Ledoyen as Madame Jaubert
Jeanne Pérez as Madame Marin
Jacques Tati as officer
Credits
(French title: Le diable au corps)
Directed by Claude Autant-Lara
Screenplay by Jean Aurenche, Pierre Bost, based on Devil in the Flesh by Raymond Radiguet
Produced by Paul Graetz
Cinematography Michel Kelber
Edited by Madeleine Gug
Music by René Cloërec
Production company: Transcontinental Films
Distributed by Universal-Film S.A.
Release dates: June 15, 1947 (Festival Mondial du Film et des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles); Sept 12, 1947 (France)
Running time: 125 minutes
Box-office: 4,762,930 admissions
