The Poison Case is a Franco – Italian film , directed by Henri Decoin , released on the screens in 1955 .
This film reconstructs the famous Poison Case that made headlines in the late 1670s . To write the scenario, which is strictly true to the truth, the authors relied on the authentic archives of the Bastille: they contain the summaries of the interrogations of the trials and the notes taken by the Lieutenant-General of Police, Mr. de the Reynie.
Synopsis
Madame de Montespan , favorite of the king of France Louis XIV , comes to seek a cure near Catherine Deshayes, known as La Voisin , in order to regain the royal favor which fell on a young rival of 17 years with resplendent beauty: Marie Angelique de Scorailles-Roussille that the King will make Duchess of Fontanges .
Technical sheet
- Director: Henri Decoin , assisted by Michel Deville and Pierre Pelegri
- Scenario: Henri Decoin, Georges Neveux and Albert Valentin
- Dialogues: Georges Neveux
- Sets: Jean d’Eaubonne , assisted by Jacques Gut and Pierre Duquesne
- Costumes: Monique Plotin , assisted by Jean Zay
- Original music: René Cloërec
- Dances: Mr. Legrand
- Director of photography: Pierre Montazel
- Camera operator: Gilbert Chain
- Assistant operator: Robert Foucard
- Editing: Borys Lewin
- Costumes and jewelery: Karinska , Paulette Coquatrix , M. Gromtzeff , N. Riotteau
- Hairstyles: Huguette Lalaurette and Jeanne Poitier
- Wigs: Jules Chanteau
- Sound: Jacques Lebreton
- Makeup: Jean Ulysse
- Scripts: Suzanne Durrenberger
- Special effects: Nicolas Wilcke
- Photographer: Jean Klissak , Emmanuel Lowenthal
- Director: Lucien Lippens
- Production Companies: Franco London Films (France) and Excelsa Films (Italy)
- Producers: Henry Deutschmeister , Nicola Naracci , Antonio Mosco
- Production Manager: Louis Wipf
- French distribution and global sales: Teledis , then Gaumont
- Shooting from July 28 to September 20, 1955 at Boulogne Studios
- Operating visa in France n ° 14.856
- Country: France – Italy
- Format: film 35 mm – 1,37: 1 – color by Technicolor – mono sound
- Genre: Historical drama
- Duration: 105 minutes
- Release date France:
- French Entries: 1,508,273
Distribution
- Danielle Darrieux : Madame de Montespan
- Viviane Romance : Catherine Deshayes, known as La Voisin
- Paul Meurisse : Father Guibourg, a satanist priest
- Anne Vernon : Hermine of the Eyelets
- Pierre Mondy : Captain François Desgrez
- Maurice Teynac : Nicolas de La Reynie , Lieutenant-General of Police
- Roldano Lupi : Lesage, an alchemist providing poisons
- Christine Carrère : Angelique de Fontanges
- Albert Rémy : The executioner Guillaume
- Renaud Mary : Henri de Montespan
- François Patrice : From Lignières
- Simone Paris : M me of Ludre
- Albert Michel : Gobet
- Luisa Rossi : M me Gobet
- Roland Armontel : The blind
- Jacky Moulière : The son of the blind
- Michel Etcheverry : The preacher
- Jean-Marie Robain : A Judge of the Ardent Chamber
- Dominique Page : The pregnant girl
- André Numès Son : The Clerk
- André Weber : A fanatic at Black Mass (uncredited)
- Gisèle Grandpré : The Countess of Soissons (uncredited)
- Florence Arnaud : A lady of the court
- Raymond Gérôme : King Louis XIV (uncredited)
- Jacques Morlaine : A barker
- Max Montavon : A loafer at the run (uncredited)
- Marfa Dhervilly : La Voisin’s client (uncredited)
- Olivier Darrieux : The student who observes
- Claude Carliez : The miracle product buyer
- Christian Brocard : Another buyer
- Louis Saintève : A juror
- Yvonne Claudie : A participant in the Black Mass
- Pierre Ferval : A loafer who attends the first execution
- Nicole Gamma
- Michel Bertay
- Dimitri Dineff
- Pierre Allan
- Marisa Belli
- Catherine Le Couey
- Hélène Rémy
Around the film
A play bearing the same title and written by Victorien Sardou , was premiered at the Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin on December 7, 1907; the text of the play was published in La Petite Illustration No. 84 of March 14, 1908.