L'enfer des anges

...but not nearly so good as Wyler's work."L'enfer des anges" had reportedly problems with the censorship because it would be so called communist propaganda .But except for a plea at the beginning -lines on the screen urging the people to do something about the youth's poverty and thus make that there will never be films like this one- it's mainly a desultory melodrama..Although it was written by Pierre Very,the script seems today very weak, patchy , maudlin and finally unconvincing.

One can save two or three scenes:Frehel,a chanteuse who was one of Edith Piaf's main influences ,playing a shrew out in the street ,babe in arms;the meeting between a kid from the wrong side of town and a spoilt child in Neuilly where rich wealthy Parisians live.

Although made in 1939,it was only released in 1941.

Release in a difficult period for French directors (1941) Christian Jaque found a good story to tell involving children, including Mouloudji who had a great singer career later on.