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I won't play the "movie purist" card and pretend that it's not possible to remake Marcel Pagnol's "Marseilles" trilogy, it IS possible. But it's not possible to replace an actor like Raimu, he wasn't just César the gruff and wise barkeeper on Marseilles' waterfront, he was the soul of Marseilles' trilogy, he was the voice, the spirit… and the star. So, it's as hard imagining the trilogy without him than "Casablanca" without Bogart. Yet Raimu died before the final opus "César" was made into a play, and Pagnol's three-part story had such an immediate international resonance that it was begging for remakes and adaptations… and that it inspired a successful Broadway musical is a credit to the universality of the story. So the show had to go on.

But no one can replace Raimu, and in fact, even the other players, Orane Demazis who played the fragile but progressively confident Fanny, Fernand Charpin who played the brave bourgeois Panisse, not to mention Pierre Fresnay as the bitter and tormented Marius were all hard to replace, so one must make the distinction between remaking and retelling. This is what Joshua Logan's "Fanny" does, it reprises the Broadway musical but adapts it into the movie format, compacting the three original movies into one of two hours and ten minutes. The film is colored and colorful, magnificently rendering the sunny soul of Marseilles, and the blueness look even more attractive and hypnotic for Marius whose childhood dream is to escape from the banality of life. He's the freest character of the trilogy, but not the wisest.

Wisdom belongs to César, the barkeeper, and the film tactfully starts with a replay of the famous scene where he shows his son Marius that it takes one third of four different ingredients to make some cocktail. There can't be four thirds, Marius says. It depends on the size of the thirds, retorts César. This scene demonstrates the power of this character, even when he speaks nonsense, he's actually right because he always makes his point. He's the touchstone of a saga of French intonations but that deals with universal life themes such as duty, gender roles and social customs, making almost a hero out of an old man marrying a young woman because he's saving her from disgrace and gives a poor out-of-wedlock child a name. Marseilles' trilogy belongs to the past but that doesn't prevent from rooting for Marius' dreams, Fanny's unfaithful thoughts and Panisse's financial arguments when he woos Fanny, César is actually the most transparent of all, no wonder he's the pillar of the story.

Now, it all comes down to one question: does Joshua Logan's "Fanny" do justice to the original trilogy? It is a matter of opinion and depends on the way you look at the original trilogy. If it's a verbal masterpiece with great insightful quotes about life and death, such as "honor being like a match, you only use it once" or "an empty chair can be sadder than a grave" then yes, "Fanny" of 1961 is a great tribute to Pagnol's eloquence and capability to translate with the right words the emotional complexities of human psyche. Now, if you forever associate the film to the spectacular performance of Raimu, these intimate moments caught in black-and-white, with a few tear-pulling revelations, volcanic tirades and histrionic confrontations, you might find in "Fanny" a pale imitation. But for the film's defense, I don't think anyone ever tried to imitate an actor, one of the film's masterstrokes was to cast French actors, it's twice an excellent idea, they're all aware of the trilogy's reputation and their accent give the film's French touch.

Charles Boyer was believable as a man who'd embody César's psychological traits without being Raimu's César, Leslie Caron added her own dimension of tragic melancholy and even Maurice Chevalier was surprisingly poignant as the unsung hero Panisse. I could even have seen him nominated instead of Boyer. Horst Bucholz was good as Marius, with a sort of Montgomery Clift's fire burning in his dark eyes, and like a good cocktail, Joshua Logan doesn't take the initial trilogy for granted, he changed the balance and gave Fanny and Panisse get the most important roles, maybe only Raimu could have made a passive observer like César such a driving force. But "Fanny" is structured in such a way that the actions sometimes count more than the little introspective moments, even though they spiced up the original trilogy.

So maybe that's the one flaw I'd concede to "Fanny", it puts a lot of good things together but it lacks that little zest that made the first trilogy such a tasty cocktail. And while it provides some powerful emotional moments, the conclusion is treated in a rather rushed away, with a ten-year old boy and a new house in the countryside. I don't know what inspired these artistic licenses, but it sadly took away the film from the atmosphere and the spirit it had set up, there's a sort of change in the air that feels awkward and make hardly believable that so many secrets, revelations, pains and troubles would be relieved in one day, ten minutes in cinematic language, and while I was critical of Césariot's character in the original film, the child doesn't exactly exude realistic vibes and his immediate complicity with Marius was sadly corny.

"Fanny" doesn't shine right away but there are like two hours of the film that work and despite a clumsy beginning and awkward ending, it doesn't ruin the enjoyment for all that, I'd still recommend watching the original first. In fact, I'd recommend the original, period.

Like the DVD description claims, "One of the screen's great love stories, set to an unforgettable (Harold Rome) soundtrack in seductive Marseilles, will touch your heart with its charm, humor and timeless themes of young passion and yearning. Starring Leslie Caron at her most beautiful and French cinema icons Charles Boyer and Maurice Chevalier, this 'Academy Award'-nominated gem of filmmaking directed by Joshua Logan tells the story of a young man (Horst Buchholz) torn between his dream of an adventurous life at sea and staying behind with the girl he loves."

This is a condensed version of the Marcel Pagnol trilogy of French films from the 1930s, namely "Marius" (1931), "Fanny" (1932), and "Cesar" (1936), which Joshua Logan breathed new life into as the Broadway hit "Fanny" (1954) starring Florence Henderson. Mr. Logan dropped the stage musical's sing-a-longs, and brought his "Fanny" to the big screen. Thanks to exquisite location photography by Jack Cardiff, this is an excellent film. The four leads do very well in portraying the range of human interpersonal relations that made the original films so memorable.

It was startling to hear film expert and TCM host Ben Mankiewicz reveal that this version was now "widely considered the best" of several Pagnol adaptations. That is big news in filmdom. I still believe the original 1930s films are far more majestic in scope. However, with this cast and crew, Logan could have attempted a more sweeping saga. Portraying love and loyalty, Ms. Caron is beautiful and excellent throughout. The veterans, Mr. Chevalier and Mr. Boyer, do what good actors do when a rare good role presents itself late in a career; they are a French treat.

Most surprisingly effective is Mr. Buchholz - but after all, France and Germany are close. Buchholz would be considered the film's traditional leading man. Yet, the US "Academy Awards" nominated Boyer in the "Best Actor" category, while the "Golden Globe" nominators considered Chevalier to be the film's dramatic leading man. "Fanny" won a scattering of high critical honors, performing best in the annual "Film Daily" top fives, with high marks for the film (#4 for the year), Logan (#2 director), Caron (#4 "Best Actress"), and Boyer (#4 in the "Supporting Actor" category).

******* Fanny (6/28/61) Joshua Logan ~ Leslie Caron, Horst Buchholz, Maurice Chevalier, Charles Boyer

I have seen four of Joshua Logan's films, South Pacific which I liked despite its flaws(for example colour filtering), Camelot which I had mixed feelings about(loved the songs and production values, didn't much like the pace and singing), Paint Your Wagon which I didn't really like(the story as well as the singing let it down) and this, Fanny-more drama- which I thoroughly enjoyed.

1961's Fanny is not completely perfect, it is perhaps overlong and a tad too leisurely. And while the story is admittedly creaky, it does have plenty of charming and poignant moments to make up for it.

On the other hand, Fanny does have wonderful production values, consisting of luscious photography, beautifully constructed scenery and sets and gorgeous costumes. Another high point is the music, the background scoring is just amazing. My favourite song from the Broadway musical itself is Welcome Home, which is a masterpiece of a song with a poignant melody and poetic lyrics. It was a song I fell in love with after hearing Sherrill Milnes sing it in the late 80s. While Milnes was past prime there his voice even after his vocal health problems was in good shape singing this and he looked so thoughtful on stage too; it sounded so rich and noble, closing your eyes you would think it was early 70s rather than late 80s.

Anyway back to the film, the screenplay is infectious and funny as well as having a great deal of charm and poignancy, and Joshua Logan's direction is less studio-bound and smug than I have known it to be, in fact film wise this is his best and most consistent directing job. The acting is great. Leslie Caron is very beguiling, and while Charles Boyer is very good, Maurice Chevalier and especially Horst Buchholz are wonderful.

All in all, a very nice film and my personal favourite so far of Logan's films. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I LOVE this movie and can't believe I haven't seen a decent comment about Horst Buchholz!

I grew up on the musical "Fanny". My mother has always claimed that she was pregnant with me or I was conceived the weekend that my parents went to NYC to see it and that's why I love musicals so much. I'm from a large family and whenever we were on long car rides, we always sang songs from "Fanny" (and always, "The Thought of You", "Love is a Very Light Thing", and "Other Hands, Other Hearts" as dramatically as we could.)

One big joke when I was young was that we had to go to a music store and order a new Fanny 'cause my mom's was cracked. When I found the CD for a sister for Christmas in the last few years, she screamed when she opened it, showed it to the room, and the rest of us screamed. When the in-laws, nieces and nephews asked what "Fanny" was, we broke into "The Thought of You".

When the movie came out on TV, the ten of us gathered in a dark room to watch it and were thrilled when we heard the overture. But half of the family left the room when they realized it wasn't a musical. I was one of the ones who stayed and have always loved this movie. Knowing which song is playing in the background just enhances it. But, I think this has the best filmed kiss EVER!! Horst Buchholz makes me ache and I think he demonstrates the same kind of frustration and passion that Jimmy Stewart did in "It's a Wonderful Life" when he was stuck in his town and dreamed for bigger things for himself. I just had two girlfriends here for the weekend and I introduced "Fanny" to them. We ended up watching it three times (and other parts over and over) and just ordered copies for them.

I've also ordered "Marius", "Fanny" and "Cesar" and am still waiting for "Fanny" to arrive, though I decided to watch "Marius" already. I know that there will be gaps that will be filled in but that can happen in an editing room today. Just listen to a director's commentary on a DVD today and you realize what ended up on the cutting room floor which now explains some thing that seemed odd in a film. The only thing I found odd about Fanny saying that Panisse was dying was 1) saying it in front of her son, and 2) not hugging and kissing her child that was missing.

But I always feel bad that Horst went to his grave not knowing how many women admired him in this film in my corner of the world. One time when watching it with a sister and a friend, after the part where Fanny explains to Marius that each night there's a woman who would love to lie down next to him, my friend said, "There are THREE women who would love to lie down next to you." :-) YUM-MY!

Ending a decade-long string of gamine roles that started with her propitious debut as Gene Kelly's unattainable object of desire in Vincente Minnelli's "An American in Paris", Leslie Caron plays the title role, a poor 18-year-old Marseilles girl who helps her fortune-hunting mother sell fish on their boat stall on the waterfront. Even though she was thirty in real life, Caron is genuinely affecting in conveying the character's youthful vigor and romantic yearning. Directed by Joshua Logan ("Picnic") in his familiar overwrought manner, the time-spanning 1961 drama is really an intimate story that suffers somewhat from overly deliberate pacing and excessive length (it's 134 minutes long). Offsetting those flaws some lighthearted comic touches mainly in the first half, a sterling cast, and Jack Cardiff's ("Black Narcissus") vibrant, often painterly cinematography which brings a lustrous glow to the seaside setting.

Adapted by Julius J. Epstein ("Casablanca") from Marcel Pagnol's famous Gallic trilogy, the story revolves around Fanny's pining for her lifelong love, Marius, the hot-tempered son of waterfront café owner Cesar. While he obviously loves Fanny, Marius has a greater passion to escape his humdrum life to become a seaman. He gets his golden opportunity when a scientific research vessel docks in Marseilles, and he can sign on for a five-year hitch. On the night before he leaves and with Fanny's mother away, they share a night of unbridled passion. Truly conflicted about his feelings for her, Marius leaves but only after Fanny tells him that she will marry the sixtyish Panisse, a lonely sailmaker who constantly locks horns with Cesar. The rest of the soap opera plot plays out the way you would think and eventually skips a decade to find that choices made are not as final as they seem.

The movie is simply beautiful to look at, and even though Logan and Cardiff tend to rely on extreme close-ups for dramatic emphasis, the story is engaging. Despite the fact that she is playing a teenager for most of the film, Caron shows how she has truly evolved as an actress since her plucked-from-obscurity MGM debut. Fresh from his memorable role as a Mexican gunman in "The Magnificent Seven", German actor Horst Buchholz smolders appropriately as Marius although his character inevitably becomes more unsympathetic as the story unfolds. The scene stealers are Charles Boyer as Cesar and Maurice Chevalier as Panisse, both peaking in late-career roles that suit their distinctive personalities. This was the least known to me of the five 1961 Best Picture nominees (the others were "The Guns of Navarone", "The Hustler", "Judgment at Nuremberg" and the runaway winner, "West Side Story") – but is a Gallic-flavored gem well worth viewing now that it has been released on DVD. The 2008 package only includes as an extra a long trailer featuring Chevalier and Boyer and a separate CD of the film's soundtrack penned by Broadway composer Harold Rome.

This is my favorite Leslie Caron movie. I like it even better than the wonderful "Gigi"--and that's saying a lot.

There are several elements of the movie that are outstanding. The cinematography and music combine to make an incredibly artistic film that helps to convey the love and sadness of the young lovers. The acting is generally top-notch--especially the supporting roles played by Charles Boyer and Maurice Chavalier. But most importantly, the overriding theme is unusual and profound (illegitimacy and the choices you make once this unwanted pregnancy occurs). This makes this film very adult in sensibilities and yet a good family picture as well---I certainly would want my daughters to see and learn from Fanny and Marius' experiences.

This movie has so many wonderful moments (such as Panisse's utter devotion and acceptance of Fanny and her baby, Cesar's confrontation of Marius near the end of the flick or Panisse and Cesar's game with the hat in the street) and overall it can't help but satisfy.

One of the absolute best films of the 1960s--though how it's becomes somewhat forgotten is beyond me.

I just saw this movie for the first time and loved it very much. The actors are wonderful, especially Charles Boyer (oscar-nominated for his portrayal of Cesar) and Maurice Chevalier; their colorful characters sound so true. Beautifully photographed in Marseille by cinematographer, Jack Cardiff, the scenery is picturesque. Although it was filmed in English, Joshua Logan's film retains the flavor of Marseille and it's people. It is an universal story and has not aged. A mix of comedy and drama, I caught myself laughing and crying at the same time. I highly recommend this movie and hope that Warner Bros. will put it on it's upcoming list of DVD releases.

Leslie Caron is quite wonderful playing the love-starved daughter of a fish-market saleswoman on the Paris waterfront who sets her sights on the son of the tavern owner. After a night in her bed, the paths of the young lovers separate, but soon there's a baby on the way and Caron realizes a father will be needed so as not to shame her hard-working mother. Marcel Pagnol's star-crossed trilogy ("Marius", "Fanny", and "César") about life and love in Marseille was first turned into a hit Broadway musical, though this non-musical screen-adaptation from director Joshua Logan is missing more than just the songs (you can spot where the songs might have been: scenes surge forth in emotion, but have no emotional outlet beyond the dialogue). Lots of wily eccentrics dot the supporting cast, with friendly adversaries Maurice Chevalier and Charles Boyer relishing their roles (they're both deliciously mad, like characters out of Lewis Carroll). For her part, Caron just keeps getting better and better as an actress; her sometimes-coy self-consciousness as a performer has been nearly vanquished by Logan. As the baby's father, Horst Buchholz is handsome and has a few fine scenes, but he's out of his league within this company and doesn't quite connect with Boyer, portraying his father. "Fanny" is a handsome piece of work (despite too many Mount Rushmore-like close-ups of La Caron), and Harold Rome's songs are now pleasantly used as the background score. If viewers can get through the clunky first act, the absorbing plot becomes a surprisingly fine study of missed opportunities, decisions, and human feelings. Five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. *** from ****

This is one of the sweetest movies ever made, without being "sickeningly sweet." The characters are funny and interesting. All kinds of love are depicted here--parental love, romantic love, love between friends. The characters are very much products of the time and place they live in--Marseille, France, before World War 2. They are steeped in Catholic tradition, which contributes to their inner struggles at times.

The problems of Fanny and Marius might seem dated, and yet the conflict between pleasing parents and following one's heart remains relevant today for many young people. Father-son relationships are as complex today as they were then. Bullying parents may not be as plentiful, or as extreme, as they were in the time FANNY is set, but they still exist.

This is a beautiful film, the right mix of sentimentality and humor. I have only seen it on VHS in pan and scan. There is one place where Marius and Fanny are partially cropped to fit the TV screen, unfortunate but it does not spoil the film.

PUZZLE: I don't know why gorgeous Horst Buchholz didn't get more acclaim for this film from critics at the time or reviewers like me, on this site. He was a young German playing a young Frenchman. But no French or American actor could have played the part better. He expressed angst and love very realistically.

This is a great film for women and for men with a romantic streak, lovers of French stories and locales, and Caron or Boyer admirers. The wrap-up in the last quarter of the film is not perfect, but the film as a whole is a 10, and the lovely score will stay with you!

This has a great deal of old world charm, but ultimately it is rather disappointing. The dated premise clearly causes this vehicle to begin sinking about a quarter of the way through the film, but the performances of Maurice Chevalier, Leslie Caron, and especially Charles Boyer keep it afloat. Another viewer commented that it should have been a musical. It's rather ironic to say this, but it clearly might feel less dated had it been a musical.

I have been reading all these raves about this movie which I just saw on TMC this morning, 11/4/10, and thought I would write my thoughts. Certainly felt there was an overuse-age of the same song over and over again. I kept asking myself could not the composer think of another? What was with all the close ups? We can see a person's expression without a head shot filling the screen. Leslie Caron wasn't dancing with Gene Kelley and Horst Buchholz wasn't following the other '6" in the Magnificent 7. I liked him better in that movie than this one. There was the 2 older actors, Charles Boyer and Chevalier who I suppose were passing the reins onto the younger generation they were pleasant enough but the reins never passed as both of the actors never did much after this movie, unless you liked Father Goose or How the West was Won.

Bottom line is its about a small village, a teenage one night stand that turns into a nightmare when she finds out she is pregnant. Basically after she let's him follow his dream, her mother, his father and the local rich man keep the 'secret' by a quick marriage and a 'pre-mature' birthing which made the rich man's family very happy. Of course you could not get away with that nowadays, someone would be screaming for a DNA testing.

It's really just a soap opera in Technicolor, why an R rating? I have no clue, it should have been a PG-13. There was no bad language, no violence, no nudity and sex was mildly implied compared to today's standards. The only thing I could think of is it gives the impression that if a girl gets pregnant and her boyfriend heads out she can still get support for her child without government getting involved. Actually, I like that idea but it only happens in the movies so don't try this at home.

I saw this movie in 1961 and was so moved by it, that it is now one of my all time favorites. Leslie Caron stole my heart then and now. Charles Boyer was fantastic. The dialogue was especially intelligent. The music was superb.

The film is a little overlong. Some of the acting is at times cartoonish. There are also a few of Joshua Logan's overly dramatic gimmicks. But the cinematography of Marseille is stunning, the score is excellent, and the acting ranges from good to excellent. Charles Boyer deserved his Oscar nomination, and Maurice Chevalier was surprisingly good in a role where he didn't sound like Pepe LePew for a change.

I was so glad to see so many reviewers say that this is their favorite movie of all time, because it is mine too -- but I always thought I was the only one who felt this way about it! A large part of my sentimental reaction to this movie comes from the fact that Charles Boyer looked so much like my father did at that age, and this was also the last video my dad and I watched together before he died. When Marius comes out of the café to go to sea, his father is standing on the waterfront watching the ship. There is a stunning fast zoom-in to the back of his father's head that stops my heart, not just because I feel Marius' shock at the realization that he will not see his father again for five years, but also because Boyer looks so much like my own father in that scene. Strangely, when my dad and I watched this together, he caught his breath at this same scene, and said that Boyer looked so much like HIS father!

When Marius says goodnight to his father (Boyer) the night before he plans to run away to sea, there is a beautiful scene in which Boyer is walking up the stairs, then turns and says to his son, "You know, I always tell you that you have ruined my life, but ..." at which point Boyer clutches his chest and becomes so choked up that he can barely continue, and croaks out the line, "it's not true!" It's the most touching, understated scene between a father and son I have ever seen in a movie. (Tragically, Boyer's own son committed suicide four years after this movie was made -- it makes me wonder whether the poignancy of his acting in this scene sprung from his real-life feelings about his own son.)

And who can forget the loving, gentle lecture he gives his son later, when he comes back from sea and wants to take his baby back from Panisse. Boyer tells him that "love is like cigarette smoke -- it doesn't weigh very much -- it takes a lot of love to make 23 pounds" and that Panisse gave the bulk of it to the baby.

And what about Cesar's (Boyer) math skills when he tries to show his son how to make a drink and tells him to use 1/3 each of four ingredients. When his son says, "but a glass only holds three thirds!" Boyer shouts, "It depends on the SIZE of the thirds!"

From start to finish, this film depicts the gentle pathos and kindness of people who all know and love each other (as Marius says, "people who maybe love me too much!"). There are no villains. Even when Panisse (Maurice Chevalier) storms out of the café in a huff, saying that his lifelong friend Cesar (Boyer) has insulted him and that he will never set foot in Cesar's café again -- when someone asks, "What about our card game tonight?" Panisse gives a typically Gallic shrug and replies, "But of course I will be back for that -- what has one thing to do with the other?"

A warm, funny, and amazingly insightful movie, and a rare opportunity to see two French greats -- Charles Boyer and Maurice Chevalier -- play off each other and steal scene after scene from the young people!

One of the most beautiful love stories ever made. I defy anyone to watch the scene on the wharf when Fanny and Marius confess their love for one another and not cry or watch the heart wrenching reunion scene that takes place a year later and not be moved to tears. Nope. This is a truly a great romantic film, full of charm, humor, joy and sadness. The writing is excellent. The photography is breathtaking, the score is lush and moving. The movie was made from a Broadway musical, which was adapted from a trilogy of French films by Pagnol. When it was transferred to Hollywood, the music was used as background score, adding to incredible romantic feel of the film. Joshua Logan really outdid himself in his direction of the film. It is one of my all-time favorite films.

Leslie Caron has such a beautiful, innocent-looking face. She's always able to insert freshness into her roles, which is why she got typecast as those types of characters - but there are worse traps to fall into, right? An American in Paris, The Man with a Cloak, Lili, Daddy Long Legs, Gaby, Gigi, and Fanny all endeared the audience to her innocence. On paper, some of these characters could have come across as stupid or frustrated the viewers by her lack of good judgment. But Leslie was always likable. She may trust the wrong man, but we want the best for her in the end.

In Fanny, only Leslie could make her likable. She's a young girl with a crush on Horst Buchholz (This was the first movie I saw him in, so I always refer to him as "Fanny's boyfriend"). She lives in a very small French fishing village and sells fish with her mother. Horst works in a tavern run by his father, and he has always dreamed of sailing around the world. Leslie sees nothing wrong with settling down in their small town, raising babies, and never branching out. Does she really love him, or is he merely the only young man she's ever met? Okay, it doesn't hurt that he's cute. But they really don't share common views or goals. When, in a moment of weakness, Leslie and Horst spend the night together, he feels obligated to stay and marry her. She doesn't want that kind of love, so she tells him to pursue his dream and leave on the next boat.

This is a classic French story, so you can expect some melodramatic elements to it. What's going to happen in a couple of months when Leslie regrets her refusal to marry him? She does live in a small town where gossip thrives on bad reputations. . . In the supporting cast are veteran French actors Charles Boyer and Maurice Chevalier. Charles, for some unknown reason, was nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars, even though he's the third male lead. Horst is, obviously, the lead, followed by Maurice, who has some meaty scenes. Charles had nothing to do. Horst's angst is wonderfully expressed, and even though he does wrong by Leslie, you understand why he feels the way he does. Maurice has some tearjerker scenes that make you feel sorry that he puts his heart above his head too many times. But Charles doesn't do anything.

There have been lots of film adaptations of Fanny, and even a stage musical, so you have quite a few to choose from if you like the story. I've seen a few versions, and my favorite is this English-language film. The cast is extremely compelling. With Horst as the cute bad boy and Leslie as the innocent girl next door, you'll need to keep watching, even if you don't like the way the story's heading.

So think of a movie musical like "Oklahoma!" and how glorious it is whenever it bursts into song and dance. Fun, isn't it? Now imagine that a genius studio head decided no one would like "Oklahoma!" if it had songs, and so ordered them all to be removed. Imagine what would be left of poor "Oklahoma!" if it were no longer a musical. It certainly wouldn't have an exclamation point at the end of its title anymore.

That's what happened to "Fanny," a Broadway musical that was turned into a non-musical in its transition to screen. The result is a film in which clearly everything that made this story worth telling was left at the stage door, and everything that made it impossible to sit through made the leap unscathed. Seriously, are we supposed to give a rat's ass about anything happening on screen?

The only thing that keeps "Fanny" from being an utter waste of your time are the loveliness of Leslie Caron in the title role and the showbiz chops of Charles Boyer and Maurice Chevalier as two old dudes stuck in a terrible story on the European seaside. Don't get me wrong -- it's still a waste of your time, but it's less of a waste than if the film had starred terrible actors instead. And to add insult to injury, this is one of those auditory atrocities from the 1960s in which 90% of the film's dialogue was re-recorded in post production, so it feels like watching a foreign film that's been dubbed.

"Fanny" was mysteriously nominated for five Academy Awards in 1961 -- Best Picture(!!), Best Actor (Boyer), Best Color Cinematography, Best Film Editing, and Best Dramatic or Comedy Score -- and I can't bring myself to understand how it earned any of them. Best Picture?!! Was there not a single better movie made in 1961 aside from the four the Academy had already nominated?

Grade: D-

I saw this movie when I was but 11 yrs. old. I am now 56 yrs. old but I have never forgotten its simple beauty, and the powerful emotion portrayed by actors who were expert at their craft. It is a classic, definitely worth seeing.

The story transports you to a world less glamorous, but full of charm and it reflects the passion of young love, the desperation of a girl "in trouble," and it explores the depth of a woman's love for a man, even when he cannot return that love, and for her child. It teaches that a sperm donor does not a father make, but shows how mutual respect can foster great admiration and loyalty, leading to their own special kind of love.

This movie has everything that one can consider good entertainment: the characters are colorful if not intense, the background music is pleasing, the language is acceptable for all ages, there is humor and there are tears. It is one of my all-time favorite movies, in company with the likes of Love is a Many Splendored Thing.

Though the story is really rather slow to get going, I did quite enjoy this seaside comedy romance. It's all about the young "Marius" (Horst Buchholz) who can't quite decide between a life at sea or a more pedestrian one at home with his girlfriend "Fanny" (Leslie Caron). His decision making isn't really helped by his dad "Cesar" (Charles Boyer) who wants him to stay at home and take over their little brasserie, nor by the elderly "Panisse" (Maurice Chevalier) who has eyes on his girlfriend. Anyway, with the scene set it now falls to these four to engagingly walk us through a series of admittedly contrived, but still quite entertaining scenarios that are well and truly stolen by the bickering rapport of best pals Boyer and Chevalier who keep threatening to kill each other when they don't get their way. The antics of the youngsters are usually the cause of this, and when she becomes pregnant - well choices have to be made that only serve to further complicate matters as the newly arrived young "Cesario" (Joël Flateau) starts to grow up believing his dad to be, well you can guess... It's a bit on the long side this, but when the writing is at it's best it allows these four characters to deliver quite a characterful drama that raises a smile treading just on the right side of slap-stick and farce. True, Buchholz isn't maybe the best actor, but his boyish Bogarde-esque looks help him to play a good foil to the equally boyish Caron and both of them work well with the two elderly gents who look like the are having quite a bit of fun making this film that swipes at sexism, ageism and stereotypes in quite an amiable fashion. There are also a few fun contributions from her mother (Georgette Anys); Raymond Bussières also adds a light extra light-heartedness as the "Admiral" and by the end, this parody of small-town family life set amongst the fish markets and the sunshine worked well.

All the way through it comes as a shock to hear the characters addressed as 'Marius', 'Cesar' and 'Panisse' in this glossy and interminable travesty of Marcel Pagnol's classic thirties trilogy on which Joshua Logan blew all the capital he'd recently earned on 'South Pacific; for which he went all the way to Joinville but might just as well stayed in Burbank.

Jack Cardiff's Technicolor photography is ravishing, as is Leslie Caron in the title role, she's far too mature and knowing; and as for Horst Bucholz...?!?