Letters from My Windmill: Father Gaucher's Elixir (1954)

Robert Vattier and Fernand Sardou in “Father Gaucher’s Elixir”. Adaptation from “Letters from My Windmill” by Marcel Pagnol.

Synopsis

To save the abbey from ruin, Father Gaucher starts making an elixir… Or is it a liqueur?

Marcel Pagnol, who met his master Alphonse Daudet again, had the ambition to shoot several “LETTERS”. He started with “LES TROIS MESSES BASSES”, “L’ÉLIXIR DU PÈRE GAUCHER” and “LE SECRET DE MAÎTRE CORNILLE”, in 1954. These are the most Provencal of the series. It was not until 1967 that he directed “LE CURÉ DE CUCUGNAN” for television, thus completing his film adaptation of the “LETTERS”.

Technical data

Genre: Comedy
Duration: 2h40
Director: Marcel Pagnol, assisted by Marcel Château, Jacques Pagnol
Screenplay: Marcel Pagnol based on the collection of short stories Letters from my Windmill by Alphonse Daudet
Adaptation and dialogue: Marcel Pagnol
Set design: Robert Giordani and Jean Mandaroux
Costumes: Lucien Poly
Photography: Willy Faktorovitch
Operator: René Mathelin assisted by Clément Maure
Editing: Monique Lacombe, Jeanne Rongier, Jacqueline Bultez
Music: Henri Tomasi, (musical editions Alphonse Leduc)
Dressers: Marcelle Desprès and Yvette Gouraud
Sound: Marcel Royné assisted by Heny Luke and Paul Zaccaro
Make-up: Paul Ralph
Cari’s wigs
Set photographer: Al Susterre
Script-girl: Régine Hernou
Director: Louis Manella and Emile Blondé
Location manager: Henri Garcia
Props: P. Laitière and M. Laudrain
Producer: Marcel Pagnol
Production companies: Eminente Films, Compagnie Méditerranéenne de Films
Director of production: Jean Martinetti, Charles Pons
Production manager: Antoine Rossi
Production Secretary: Annette Millet
Technical agent: Bruno Negri With the assistance of the Petits Chanteurs de Provence, under the direction of Reverend Father Geoffroy
Filming: in the studios of Marseille and for the exteriors at the Alphonse Daudet mill in Fontvieille, in the abbey of St-Michel de Frigolet and in the priory of Ganagobie. Marius Brouquier built the mill of Master Cornille
Distributor: Gaumont