Manon of the Springs - Part 1 (1952)

Synopsis

Manon, a wild shepherdess driven by the desire for revenge, is not content to repel the advances of poor Ugolin, who proclaims his passion to all winds. She diverts the spring that supplies water to the communal fountain. The whole village is condemned to death.

“In June 1952, Marcel Pagnol started shooting. In order not to get out of the atmosphere, Marcel and Jacqueline moved into a house in the village. The film was shot from start to finish in La Treille and its surroundings. The shy Rellys is their host; every morning, he shaves and drinks coffee with his author who explains the finer points of the role of Ugolin. This summer is particularly hot. So we get up early to work before the scorching hours; sometimes, however, the operator points out that the actors “have their noses in their mouths and my grandmother’s wrinkles” because the sun is at its zenith.”

René Pagnol.

Technical data

Genre: drama
Duration: 3 hrs 55 min
Director: Marcel Pagnol
Script and dialogues: Marcel Pagnol
Photography: Willy Faktorovitch, known as Willy
Cameraman: Charly Willy-Gricha, assisted by Roger Ledru, Clément Maure and André Soriano (trainee operator)
Sound: Marcel Royné, Zaccaro (perchman), Louis Guilbaud (recorder)
Music: Raymond Legrand
Additional music: extract from L’Arlésienne by Georges Bizet
Choirs of the village of La Treille, under the direction of Father Party
Editing: Raymonde Bianchi, Jacques Bianchi
Script-girl: Raymonde Bourrely
Set design: Eugène Delfau
General manager: Léon Bourrely, assisted by Marcel Correnson
Outside director: Henri Garzia
Accessory designers: Paul Latière and Marcel Laudrin
Set photographer: Henri Moirond
Make-up: Paul Ralph
Technical Officer: Bruno Negri
Shooting in the studios of Marseille Outdoor shooting: Marseille ( La Treille village), Aubagne(Bouches-du-Rhône)
Producer: Marcel Pagnol
Production company: La société Nouvelle des Films Marcel Pagnol
Distribution company: Gaumont
Director of production: Charles Pons