The French film buff will surely experience a frisson when the very first line of dialogue is spoken by Simone Signoret, destined to pick up the torch from Arletty but here relegated to just one scene in her very first movie - ironically she had even less to do in Les Visiteurs du soir a couple of years later. If you saw All About Eve and recall how newcomer Monroe shared a screen with Bette Davis you'll know just what I mean. Jean Boyer is forgotten today but he was as fine a journeyman director as any and always worked well with Arletty (see: Chaleur du sein). No Arletty fan will want to miss yet another performance from the Occupation bridging the gap between Le Jour se leve and Les Visiteurs du soir and though it's a piece of fluff - Luguet is teed off at an upstairs neighbour who plays Ravel's Bolero round the clock, Arletty is Joan of Arc (in her head)and there's a fake suicide, nuff said? - I for one am more than happy to take the fluff with the smooth.
Review of Boléro
