Premier bal

This movie is a charming comedy and romance (maybe inspired by Belgian novel 'Le Carillonneur', by Georges Rodenbach). All characters are sympathetic and we often smile to see the rivalry between the two sisters and the kindness of their father. The actors are all excellent. A funny and moving movie at the same time and a true lesson of acting and directing. This sort of delicious and poetical 'marivaudage' has unfortunately disappeared now from France. One of the best movies directed by the prolific Christian-Jaque. The French audience during German Occupation needed entertainment and loved this sort of sentimental stories making them forget for a moment the sufferance of this tragical period. Cinemas were full in France at this time and a lot of movies had big success.

In his best movies Christian-Jaque showed he had remained childlike :"Les Disparus De Saint-Agil " "L"Assassinat Du Père Noel" and even his ("imagine there 's no countries ") "Si Tous Les Gars Du Monde" bore this out.

We find at least three characters in ¨"Premier Bal" who are still leaving in the past: the clockmaker(Ledoux) ,marveling at his clocks,striking together (and the incredibly scene of his death ,when after these chimes of goodbye,time stands still ;it's the exact equivalent of Johnny Cash's marvelous "grandftaher's clock");his daughter Nic (Déa),a girl who likes the animals the vet is taking care of and she even buys a monkey called Bamboula ;the vet himself (Périer) ,a shy young man.

"Premier Bal " uses Racine's Andromaque pattern:Ernest loves Nic who does not love him;Nic loves Jean who does not love her;Jean loves Dominique,Nic's sister who loves nobody but herself.But further acquaintance shows this: like in "Un De La Legion" ,comedy turns into drama.The turning point is ,like in Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" ,the ball ,their first one (check the title).After the ball ,there's a crack in the mirror .It's a rude awakening and CJ quite succeeds in his change of "key".

Fernand Ledoux and Marie Déa would play again father-and-daughter in Marcel Carné's classic "Les Visiteurs Du Soir" .