French Without Tears
Film poster
Directed byAnthony Asquith
Written byIan Dalrymple
Anatole de Grunwald
Terence Rattigan
Produced byMario Zampi
StarringRay Milland
CinematographyBernard Knowles
Edited byDavid Lean
Music byNicholas Brodszky
Clive Richardson (uncredited)
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • 1939 (1939)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

French Without Tears is a 1939 British comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Ray Milland. It was based on the 1936 play of the same name by Terence Rattigan, who also co-wrote the script. An on-off working relationship between Asquith and Rattigan began with this film and continued over the next 15 years.[1][2]

Plot

The love affairs are depicted of three young Englishmen at a language "cramming" school in the south of France. Diana, the sister of one of the boys, arrives in town to flirt with all of her brothers' schoolmates.[3]

Cast

Critical reception

Sky Movies described a "sparkling version of Terence Rattigan's comedy play. The import of Ellen Drew and Ray Milland from Hollywood ensured the film's success world-wide."[1] Writing for Allmovie, Hal Erickson wrote, "much of the wit and zest of the original stage production has been blunted for the screen, moving one critic to describe French Without Tears as 'Comedy Without Laughs'. In all fairness, however, the film does boast a hilarious drunk scene in a musty old French wine cellar."[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "French Without Tears - Sky Movies HD". Skymovies.sky.com. 23 May 2002. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b "French Without Tears (1939) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast". AllMovie. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  3. ^ "French without Tears | BFI | BFI". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2014.

External links

Films directed by Anthony Asquith
Works by Terence Rattigan
Categories