La venganza de Manon (1953)

Curiosidades

Manon of the Spring is a 1952 French two-part drama film directed by Marcel Pagnol and starring Jacqueline Pagnol, Raymond Pellegrin and Rellys. The diptych and the first film are both titled Manon of the Spring, while the second film is titled Ugolin. Marcel Pagnol conceived the film specifically as a vehicle for his wife Jacqueline to star in.

Production

Manon of the Spring was conceived by Marcel Pagnol as a "gift" for his wife, actress Jacqueline Pagnol, whom he had married in 1945 and who had starred in his three previous films, Naïs, The Pretty Miller Girl and Topaze. The latter film had been Pagnol's biggest post-war box-office success, granting him greater freedom on his next projects.

Pagnol based his script on an allegedly true story he had been told as a child, about a young woman who had taken revenge on those who had appropriated her father's farm. Depending on the versions, the story involved a spring. Pagnol also drew some inspiration from the memories of Jacqueline, who had herded goats as a child.

Pagnol wished to cast his frequent collaborator Fernandel, then one of France's biggest stars, as Ugolin, but the actor, who had just made several films in a row and was busy with other projects, turned down the role. Pagnol was so displeased by Fernandel's refusal that the two men remained at odds for several years. Pagnol considered casting Fernandel's brother, Fransined, but ultimately settled for Rellys.

Filming started in June 1952; it took place at Marseille Studios and on location around La Treille and Aubagne. The film's sets were designed by the art director Eugène Delfau. Shooting took place during a particularly hot summer. To stay in the atmosphere of the film, Pagnol and his wife resided in a house in La Treille throughout the production. Rellys stayed in the same house, allowing Pagnol to explain him his role in detail.

The fountain appearing in several pivotal scenes, situated on place Maurice Thouvenin in La Treille, is now commonly called fontaine Manon des sources (Manon of the Spring fountain).

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