Sacré printemps

Original title: The Happy Time

1952
Approved
1h 34m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

593

YOUR RATING

Charles Boyer, Linda Christian, Bobby Driscoll, and Louis Jourdan in Sacré printemps (1952)

Spring inspires lessons in love and life for a French family in 1920s Ottawa, especially for teenage Robert, who's blind to the attentions of an American neighbor girl, because he's infatuated with the beautiful new maid, fleeing life as a magician's assistant. Robert's mother bemoans some of the Bonnard family male role models available to Robert: his party animal grandfather, roguish traveling salesman uncle Desmond, and an uncle who carries a water cooler filled with wine everywhere while his wife does all the work. As Desmond's temporarily off the road, he also targets the maid.

Play trailer2:34

1 Video

4 Photos

Comedy

Spring inspires lessons in love and life for a French family in 1920s Ottawa, especially for teenage Robert, who's blind to the attentions of an American neighbor girl, because he's infatuat... Read allSpring inspires lessons in love and life for a French family in 1920s Ottawa, especially for teenage Robert, who's blind to the attentions of an American neighbor girl, because he's infatuated with the beautiful new maid, fleeing life as a magician's assistant.Spring inspires lessons in love and life for a French family in 1920s Ottawa, especially for teenage Robert, who's blind to the attentions of an American neighbor girl, because he's infatuated with the beautiful new maid, fleeing life as a magician's assistant.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

593

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins & 5 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 2:34

Official Trailer

Photos3

User reviews23

6.7593

Featured reviews

8wes-connors

Bobby Driscoll Comes of Age

Bobby Driscoll (as Robert "Bibi" Bonnard) is a teenager "coming of age" in 1920s Ottawa. Mr. Driscoll's uncle, traveling salesman Louis Jourdan (as Desmond Bonnard), is away when the film begins; he enjoys a "playboy" lifestyle, but returns soon, for a visit. Driscoll's father, Charles Boyer (as Jacques Bonnard) appears to have grown out of an extended career of his own, as a "ladies' man"; and his father, randy Marcel Dalio (as Grandpa Bonnard), recognizes "la puberty" is beginning for Driscoll

Everyone in the cast is outstanding; but, "The Happy Time" is, more than anything, Driscoll's film. He more than holds his own, among the distinguished cast. Watching Driscoll perform in this film makes his sudden slide from favor all the more puzzling - he may not have grown up according to the Disney studio's specifications, but few do. As evidenced here, Driscoll should have had a long working career as, if anything, a comedian; "only one is from the burlesque, the other was obtained privately," he says, arriving at the dinner table wearing garters.

Director Richard Fleischer does Earl Felton's smartly written play justice. The film is full of nice "symbolic" touches - the canary, the girl's braces, and the medals appearing inside more than one of the characters' jackets. While beautifully done, the film's ill-mannered presentation of sex, love, and gender roles seems very queer; probably, the film's themes held significantly more charm in the 1950s. Also worth watching for Kurt Kasznar (repeating his stage role as a possibly alcoholic neighboring uncle), Marsha Hunt (whom Driscoll seems to take after, in looks), Linda Christian (recalling of Eva Gabor), Jimmy Bishop (a young Chuck Connors), and Marlene Cameron (entering her own "happy time").

******** The Happy Time (10/30/52) Richard Fleischer ~ Bobby Driscoll, Charles Boyer, Louis Jourdan, Kurt Kasznar

egonigo

High praise for this portrayal of delightful eccentricity

I just wanted to assure Roncee that this movie holds up thru multiple viewngs over decades! For fans of the period-setting, it's a wonderful antidote to the sentimentality of "I Remember Mama," and Kurt Kazner's drunken lout is far more entertaining than Oskar Homolka's curmodgeonly Uncle Chris. Take special note of director Richard Fleischer's range: everything from "Dr. Doolittle" to the ultra-creepy "10 Rillington Place." In view of his parentage though, prodigious talent is no surprise -- his pop was Max (Betty Boop et al.) Fleischer! Also recommended to fans of this film is the obscure but fabulous Beatrice Lily comedy, "On Approval."

9theowinthrop

A Charming Film about Family Life in Quebec

I saw this film only once forty years ago, but I really enjoyed it. Charles Boyer is the head of a Quebecois family who has to face normal problems of his son's growing up, his brothers (Kurt Kazner and Louis Jourdan) and their problems. It was very heart warming. An example of this is towards the end when Boyer's son (Bobby Driscoll) has been somewhat framed by a rival at his school, and has been humiliated and punished by an unreasonable, martinet teacher (corporal punishment is allowed in Quebec in the 1920s, when the story occurs, and the teacher used a switch on Driscoll). Boyer goes to see the teacher, and discovers that the latter has made a mistake that can be misconstrued as illegal behavior. When Driscoll was whipped the teacher had insisted on him telling the truth. Grabbing the switch, Boyer starts demanding the truth from the teacher now. It was quite an enjoyable moment.

The film was later turned into a Broadway musical also called THE HAPPY TIME, starring Robert Goelet. Occasionally the theme song of that show is revived (usually Goelet's recording of it) on radio.

9Irene212

If this film has a flaw, I don't know what it is.

Except maybe the title. The film has been described as heartwarming in other posts, but it's more sophisticated than it is sentimental. It is funny and charming throughout, and strongly flavored with emotion. Frank words like erection and intercourse are never used (English is more naked than French, Boyer says at one point), but the moment when the young boy has his first sexual feelings, as he watches a magician's luscious blonde assistant, leaves no doubt about the movie's sexual theme, which is handled with exquisite tenderness.

There is nothing flashy about the film-making-- the stage play was opened up rather minimally, allowing the strength of the writing and the acting to shine. And both do. It's hardly worth singling out any one performer, the ensemble works so well together, though the three Bonnard brothers-- Boyer, Jourdan, Kasznar-- are particularly fine, especially when they gang up on the schoolmaster. This is an all but forgotten movie-- witty and wise, graceful and bold-- that has true greatness in it.

7CinemaSerf

The Happy Time

Aside from "Treasure Island" (1950) this might be my favourite film featuring the charming Bobby Driscoll. He's the teenage "Robert/Bibi" who is completely oblivious to the affections of his next door neighbour because he only has eyes for the new maid "Mignonette" (Linda Christian). His obsessiveness starts to affect his schoolwork, and when the lovelorn "Peggy" (Marlene Cameron) doctors a rather risqué copy of "Paris Match" and gets him into hot water, things get so serious as to require the intervention of his dad (Charles Boyer) and two uncles (Louis Jourdan and Kurt Kasznar). They question him about the naughty photos and respect his denial whilst also clocking really quite quickly just what is troubling their young charge. Boyer is also on good form here, and I thought Richard Fleischer's amiable direction allowed the deftly adapted script to tell us a story of pubescent love mixed with familial concern and affection and peppered with some lovely, quite witty, observational humour. Driscoll was seventeen or so when he made this, so he probably had some genuine hormones to add to this genuinely quite enjoyable comedic drama. Don't be put off by the rather ropey title track, it's really quite good fun, this.

More like this

7.6

6.6

6.4

6.6

7.0

6.6

Le temps de la colère

6.5

6.6

6.2

5.1

6.5

5.4

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
Marsha Hunt was offered the same role in the original Broadway production but turned it down. The part ultimately went to Leora Dana, who met and married actor Kurt Kasznar during the run of the play.

Quotes
Jacques Bonnard: I think you and I should have a little talk. Sit down, Bibi. Well, there is no need to ask you why you did what you did. The reason is obvious: you did it because... why did you do it?
Robert 'Bibi' Bonnard: I had a desire to know what would happen... if I kissed Mignonette the way Valentino did.
Jacques Bonnard: You were curious.
Robert 'Bibi' Bonnard: Oui, curious.
Jacques Bonnard: Nothing more.
Robert 'Bibi' Bonnard: There is something more, but I don't know what it is.
Jacques Bonnard: Ah. Well. It is this 'something more' of which we shall speak. Now you see, Bibi, this... desire you have, it's a natural one, and since it is natural, it cannot be bad. It becomes bad only when the reason is bad. That is why so many people are mixed up
Robert 'Bibi' Bonnard: I, too, am mixed up.
Jacques Bonnard: Well, of course! So am I. Well, let's try to unmix ourselves, shall we? Now, Bibi, we speak now of love. And where there is love, there is also desire; they go together. Love must have the desire; I don't believe there can be love without it. But, it is possible to have the desire without love, and this is where the world falls apart. For instance, you don't understand why the principal of your school beat you.
Robert 'Bibi' Bonnard: No, papa.
Jacques Bonnard: Well, it is because he has been brought up to believe that the desire is wrong. And since he himself has the desire, he's even more mixed up than we are! He has been brought up in a world where the desire has been used so badly-so badly, believe me-that it itself is thought to be bad; and this is wrong. This is wrong, Bibi. And you know the reason for this condition? It is because so many people are without love.
Robert 'Bibi' Bonnard: Many people?
Jacques Bonnard: Many.
Robert 'Bibi' Bonnard: Uncle Louis?
Jacques Bonnard: You love your Uncle Louis, don't you?
Robert 'Bibi' Bonnard: I love him strongly.
Jacques Bonnard: That's good. He has a great need of love. And without love, one is defeated.
Robert 'Bibi' Bonnard: But this love is different. The love I have for Uncle Louis is different from the love I have for you; this also is different from the way I love maman. And then... Mignonette.
Jacques Bonnard: Eh, oui, Bibi. And this love we speak of now, when it is real, when it is true, it is the greatest love of all. I know; we have it here, in this house, Maman and I; it is the best, it is the most natural. In this way, the world comes down to a house, and a room, and a bed, and if there are two people in love there, then that is the whole world. Of course, you won't know this for many years. You know it is possible never to know it? I hope you will. If you are as lucky as I am, you will.
Robert 'Bibi' Bonnard: I will look for someone like Maman!
Jacques Bonnard: Oh, no! No, no, no, no! On the contrary: the secret is not to imitate. Look for your heart's need, and then she will come. Well, I've talked enough, and still you don't know what I wish to say.
Robert 'Bibi' Bonnard: I think I do.
Jacques Bonnard: Well, perhaps, when we speak of this again, I will find better words.