Philippe Clarence is not somebody you want to work for. Unfair with his most faithful employee, Solange, his provider & friend Daniel Rousseau (Comédie member Jean Chevrier), his devotional former girlfriend Anne-Marie, his current girlfriend Lucienne, all her employees, obviously his accountant, all his other girlfriends (she keeps their dresses, with tags for their "periods")... but for Micheline Lafaurie, Daniel's bride. His new conquest takes the place of everything. His collection of course, some sort of respect for her in house ex, . But no, her place at his private wardrobe "the cemetery" as Lucienne aptly names it while arguing.
Everybody must have their favourite character, mine is Gabrielle Dorziat as Solange, the only one that, maybe is not under the influx of passion, has a cool head to see all that happens, making things happen and being slightly grouchy and accepting, as it must be :). She is always putting up with everything, this would be her phrase: "Don't try to understand, it's not the moment now!". Paulette (Fusier-Gir) is her sidekick, there is also plump "Juliette", and stout Lucille, all vital for contrast with the beautiful women and the scarce male figures. For it's a women's world! Useful for us males to veer into something we probably would never have access to. The contrast between the customers ("baronesses" carrying dogs), the working women of the workshop, the models and the customers is "social stratification" put into good use.
Françoise Lugagne is also perfect. The way she walks out of Clarence's says it all. In a film that feast female beauty one should not be afraid to be frivolous. My "sexiest model" was Christiane Barry as "Lucienne", the sour girlfriend. Who has a fun paranoid scene at the bar on which the happy couple is having a date. "They are poking fun of me!!" she smirks to long suffering Mr. Murier, who only wanted his Camembert. The way she leaves into a cloud of smoke is a great brief scene! Not a great actress, she is given the best diagnose lines: "you're a madman! And something about his end that you'd better forget :). So is the lanky young blonde employee who hates Anne-Marie "puritanical", she calls her in the beginning, and while placing the chairs in order for the collection, is instrumental into her fate, mind you.
Jacques Becker made a time capsule of a little film, to be savoured in future generations. I can only glee in nostalgia by looking at the way people dressed, their naive pastimes (the ping-pong game followed by the huge family), and fashion that was actually nice to look at. And beautiful models, not skinny like nowadays :)!
Art Direction, Costume Design (Max Douy), even hats ("Gabrielle", not on IDMB) are well made! Music accompanies the scene and the "suspense" moments finely. The sound is pretty bad, as one would expect from a post WWII movie.
There was one horrible dress, the one Philippe gives Micheline to wear for their first date. She says "I look like a hen" and she does! In the film it is shown that everybody approves of it, but I wonder ... :).
Watch is as a portrait of a narcissist, if not for really being entertained.
