The second Segment of Marcel Pagnol’s popular dramas, Marseille Trilogy, Fanny is the least interesting one; the other segments are “Marius” and “Cesar.”
Grade: C+ (** out if *****)
In 1938, Hollywood made the Pagnol film, “Port of Seven Seas,” with Wallace Beery (of all actors) as Cesar, Maureen O’Sullivan as Fanny, and Frank Morgan as Panisse.
Recycling
The text later became a Broadway musical, under Joshua Logan’s helm, with music by Harold Rome, and strong performances by the singer Ezio Pinza as Cesar and Walter Slezak as Panisse.
In this version, Fanny (Leslie Caron, fresh off the Oscar winning musical (Gigi) is left pregnant, when Marius (Hungarian heartthrob Horst Buchholz) goes off to sea.
What’s a girl to do? She marries the charming but old Panisse (Maurice Chevalier, also of “Gigi” fame).
Charles Boyer, a romantic lead in Hollywood films of the 1930s, is cast as the old man, Cesar.
When Marius returns and wants to reclaim Fanny and his son, father Cesar dissuades him, and the romance between the youngsters must remain latent and repressed.
For authenticity and films that capture Pagnol’s provincial warmth and genuine charm, you need to watch the French and British versions. “Fanny” was directed by Marc Allegret in 1932, “Marius” by Alexander Korda, and “Cesar,” the concluding film, by the playwright himself.
The Hollywood picture was advertised as “Joshua Logan’s Fanny,” until the press pointed out the double entendre, unintentionally funny meaning of that phrase.
Well-acted by all around, but rather dull, the movie, nonetheless, was popular at the box-office.
Oscar Alert
Oscar Nominations: 5
Picture, produced by Joshua Logan
Actor: Charles Boyer
Cinematography (Color): Jack Cardiff
Film Editing: William H. Reynolds
Scoring: Morris Stoloff and Harry Sukman
Oscar Awards: None
Oscar Context:
In 1961, “Fanny” competed for the Best Picture with “The Guns of Navarone,” “The Hustler,” Judgment at Nuremberg,” and “West Side Story,” which swept most of the Oscars, including Color Cinematography and Editing.
This was Boyer’s fourth and final Best Actor nomination; the winner was Maximilian Schell for “Judgment at Nuremberg.”
Henry Mancini won the Scoring award for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
Cast
Leslie Caron as Fanny
Horst Buchholz as Marius
Maurice Chevalier as Panisse
Charles Boyer as César
Georgette Anys as Honorine
Salvatore Baccaloni as Escartefigue
Lionel Jeffries as Monsieur Brun
Raymond Bussieres as The Admiral
Joel Flateau as Césario
Credits:
Cinematography Jack Cardiff
Edited by William Reynolds
Music by Harold Rome, Morris Stoloff, Harry Sukman (uncredited)
Production company Mansfield Productions
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date: June 28, 1961 (US)
Running time 134 minutes
Box office $4.5 million (US/Canada rentals)
