Poster for Ray Ventura film "Feux de Joie"
"FEUX DE
JOIE" FR 1938
FR 1938 Florida Films ... Director:Jacques
Houssin ... Music:Paul Misraki
... Dir/prod: Dimitri Dragomir ...... Photography: Montérau
... Decors: Robert Hubert, Heuri Ménessier ... Sound: Paul
Duverger
... Story:André Hornez & J. Houssin ... Dialogue &
Lyrics: André Hornez
... Ray Ventura & his Collegians; Micheline Cheirel with
Marcel Vallee
... Alice Tissot, Georges Flateau, Alberta Mansfield, Jimmy
Gaillard, Sinoël,
... Dumontier, Charblay, Odette Roger, Mona Goya, René Lefevre,
Raymond Cordy
The Collegians:-
Coco Aslan, Gus Deloof, André Dassary, Phillippe Brun, Guy
Paquinet, Adrien Mares,
Jos Brevre, Max Blanc, John Eslevian, André Cauzard, Maurice
Chilot,
André Corville, Roger de Hutbourg, Louis Gaste, Max Gezdrey,
Louis Janson,
Indre Lluis, Robert Vez, Jefn Pirenee, Danny Polo, Louis Vola.
(spelling corrections for some of these would be appreciated!)
Issued in France by Pathe-Baby on 9.5mm sound as
2GS.70108 (approx 44 mins)
- heavily cut from the 35mm cinema original running time of 95
minutes.
(note: Naturally, the 9.5mm print has the original French
language sound track)
A group of friends are in the forces and play in
the military band. Once demobbed, they go their various ways in
civvy street, not having much luck with their jobs. By a series
of events they all meet up again and arrange to take over a hotel
on the French Cote d'Azur. They cycle all the way there - we see
them set off down (or is it up?) the Champs Elysee in Paris!
Eventually by a bit of trickery the hotel picks up a few guests
and becomes successful, with even some love interest on the way.
Where
there are music links allow 30-90secs for the 9.5mm soundtrack
clip to load
If player starts while file downloading, click media player
'stop' button & wait till at about 2/3rd of the file has
loaded before clicking media player 'start' button.
Music: Over titles - medley of music used in the film
Military band - unidentified
"Y'A Des Jours, Où Toutes Les Femmes Sont Jolies" (Bicycle number)
Short extract - unidentified -
"Qu'est-Ce Qu'On Attend Pour Être Heureux" (Hornez-Misraki)
"Comme Tout Le Monde" (Hornez-Misraki)
Tap dance number - unidentified
Finale - reprise of "Y'A Des Jours, Où Toutes Les Femmes Sont Jolies"
Ray Ventura (16April1908 - 29March1979):-
In the late 1920's, The Lycée Jeanson de
Sailly, in one of the smart areas of Paris saw a gang of
youngsters - mad on Anglo-Saxon music, rather the sort of variety
tinged jazz performed by bands like Jack Hylton's in the UK -
form their own orchestra. The first records were cut in English.
A member of the band, Paul Misraki, also wrote songs. The songs
were full of refreshing humour that immediately caught on.
To make themselves better known, the orchestra,
by now 'Ray Ventura & His Collegians', hired the esteemed
Salle Pleyel on a Friday 13th, a date no-one would book. The
concert was a great success and as a result Henri Varna engaged
the entire troupe to accompany Cécile Sorel on her debut run at
the Casino de Paris. Soon the Collegians' songs were popular
everywhere. By now the group could put on an entire show,
including a mix of smooth and rhythmic vocal numbers,
instrumental pieces and an assortment of gags and sketches.
A little luck saw the release of "Tout Va
Très Bien Madame La Marquise" in 1936, co-incide with
worker-occupation of factories, making the tune a parallel anthem
of the French Popular Front. By now the cinema world also took an
interest.......
Ray Ventura had visited London for the first
time in 1931, his group at that time including the American bass
saxophonist Spencer Clark, although four years later he
completely reorganised his band. In March 1938 he made a flying
visit to England for a concert at the Odeon Theatre, Guilford, a
broadcast the following day, and then a recording session for the
Parlophone label. Personnel at the time included trumpeters
Philippe Brun and Gus Deloof, trombonist Guy Paquinet, and
bassist Louis Vola, the latter a long-time member of the famous
Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Ray Ventura returned to
England just prior to the outbreak of war.
The war saw the Vichy government outlaw some
members of the band. Most of the orchestra went with Ray Ventura
to Argentina, South America, others remained in Paris with other
bands. After the liberation, Ray Ventura reformed the orchestra
in Paris, the bearer of new rhythms, he introduced the French to
the delights of the samba. There was another successful British
tour in 1946. By now Ray had also moved into film production. The
arrival of rock & roll saw his retirement - Ray Ventura, who
incidentally was Sacha Distel's uncle, died 29th March 1979.
Filmography:
Actor: Aventure á Paris (1936) aka Adventure in Paris
Feux de Joie (1938)
Tourbillon de Paris (1939) aka Whirl of Paris
Mademoiselle S'Amuse (1947)
Nous Irons à Paris (1949) aka We Will All Go To Paris
Monte Carlo Baby (1951)
Nous Irons à Monte Carlo (1952) aka We Will All Go To Monte Carlo
Cent Francs par Seconde (1953)
Pourquoi Paris? (1962)- uncredited
Various: Amour à L'Américaine (1932) - composer
Tous Va Très Bien Madame La Marquise (1936) - musical director
Nitchevo (1936) - musical director
Claudine à L'École (1937) - musical director
En Êtes-Vous Bien Sûr? (1946) - musical director
Producer: Pigalle-Saint-Germain-des-Prés (1950)
Monte Carlo Baby (1951)
Nous Irons à Monte Carlo (1952)
Jamais Deux Sans Trois (1952)
La Jeune Folle (1952) aka Desperate Decision
Coiffeur Pour Dames (1952) aka An Artist With Ladies/French Touch
Femmes de Paris (1953)
Les Compagnes de la Nuit (1953)
Escale à Orly (1955) aka Intermediate Landing in Paris
Pardonnez Nos Offenses (1956)
Vive Henri 1V ... Vive L'Amour! (1961)
Verspätung in Marienborn (1964) aka Stop Train 349
Ray Ventura & his Collegians 1938
Updated 24 August 2001 ...........................
95flmdancefeux ..................©MM1 G.L. Newnham