Martin Roumagnac

The one and only teaming of Jean Gabin and Marlene Dietrich is this post World War II melodrama where Gabin plays the title role of Martin Roumagnac. Gabin is in the building trades and is a working class stiff. After the war guys like him were much in demand and he's on the way to a good living.

That is until he meets Dietrich who is playing one of her patented notorious women. He falls for her like a wheelbarrow full of his own bricks and goes way into cost overruns making her one grand villa. But she's marking time with him, he's a bit of amusement, Marlene's after the rich Marcel Herand whose shrew of a wife is lingering a bit too long on death's door to suit Dietrich and Herrand.

Gabin and Dietrich were quite an item over here during his exile period in America before he joined the Free French. Had Martin Roumagnac been better received Dietrich might well have set up permanent residence in France. No need to dub her, Dietrich's French was as fluent as her English. As it was eventually she did make Paris her home.

Some good performances to note are Jean d'Yd as Dietrich's uncle and Margo Lion as Gabin's sister. Blood relatives no nicknames involved for both. Also that of Daniel Gelin as a young student crushing out over her big time.

There's a lot of similarities with Martin Roumagnac and The Letter with the roles reversed. If you've seen either the Jeanne Eagels or Bette Davis versions than you know what happens in Martin Roumagnac.

The film came out in 1946 and didn't make it to our shores until 1948 because of the omnipresent Code. I think more than fans of the stars will appreciate it today.