A Certain Smile is a 1958 American drama film directed by Jean Negulesco, based on the book of the same name by Françoise Sagan.
| A Certain Smile | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Jean Negulesco |
| Written by | Frances Goodrich Albert Hackett Françoise Sagan |
| Produced by | Henry Ephron |
| Starring | Rossano Brazzi Joan Fontaine |
| Cinematography | Milton Krasner |
| Edited by | Louis R. Loeffler |
| Music by | Alfred Newman |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century-Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2.3 million[1] |
| Box office | $1.3 million (US rentals)[2][3] |
Plot
editIn Paris, beautiful Dominique Vallon is involved with a young man, Bertrand Griot, until suddenly entering into an unwise week-long romance with his wealthy and married uncle, Luc Ferrand.
Cast
edit- Rossano Brazzi as Luc Ferrand
- Joan Fontaine as Françoise Ferrand
- Bradford Dillman as Bertrand Griot
- Christine Carère as Dominique Vallon
- Eduard Franz as M. Vallon
- Katherine Locke as Mme. Vallon
- Kathryn Givney as Mme. Griot
- Steven Geray as Denis
- Johnny Mathis as Himself
- Trude Wyler as Mme. Denis
- Sandy Livingston as Catherine
- Renate Hoy as Mlle. Minot
- Muzaffer Tema as Pierre
Production
editChristine Carère was cast in the main role, although she didn't know any English at the time. She was brought to Hollywood and trained for ten months before filming.[4] The Production Code Administration only authorized the film after substantial changes to the novel's story line. Negulesco later agreed "that A Certain Smile has not much of Sagan. She herself did not like it and she also wrote an article against it. She was right in saying that that was not her book."[5]
Awards and nominations
edit| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards[6][7] | Best Art Direction | Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler and John DeCuir; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott and Paul S. Fox |
Nominated |
| Best Costume Design | Charles LeMaire and Mary Wills | Nominated | |
| Best Song | "A Certain Smile" Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster |
Nominated | |
| Laurel Awards | Best Song | 5th Place |
References
edit- ^ Solomon 1989, p. 251.
- ^ Solomon 1989, p. 227.
- ^ "Top Grossers of 1958". Variety. January 7, 1959. p. 48. Please note figures are for US and Canada only and are domestic rentals accruing to distributors as opposed to theatre gross
- ^ French Doll: Meet Christine Carere, a Tiny Bundle of Sheer Acting Talent / 'Mardi Gras' Is Next for Christine. Chicago Tribune archives, 15 June 1958, page 90
- ^ Michelangelo Capua, Jean Negulesco: The Life and Films, McFarland 2017, p.107
- ^ "The 31st Academy Awards (1959) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ "NY Times: A Certain Smile". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2012. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2008.
Bibliography
edit- Solomon, Aubrey (1989). Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History. The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1.