Le Plaisir

Le Plaisir
File:Leplaisir.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Max Ophüls
Produced by	Max Ophüls M. Kieffer Édouard Harispuru
Screenplay by	Jacques Natanson Max Ophüls
Story by	Guy de Maupassant
Starring	Claude Dauphin Jean Galland Gaby Morlay Madeleine Renaud Daniel Gélin Danielle Darrieux Simone Simon Jean Gabin
Music by	Joe Hajos Maurice Yvain
Cinematography	Philippe Agostini Christian Matras
Edited by	Leonide Azar
Distributed by	Columbia
Release dates	14 February 1952 (1952-02-14)
Running time	97 minutes
Country	France
Language	French

Le Plaisir (English title, House of Pleasure) is a 1952 French comedy-drama anthology film by German-born film director Max Ophüls (1902–1957) adapting three short stories by Guy de Maupassant — "Le Masque" (1889), "La Maison Tellier" (1881), and "Le Modèle" (1883).

Le Plaisir was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction (Max Ophüls).

Plot summaries

Le Masque

A masked young dandy goes to an ornate dance hall, where he finds a young woman to be his dance partner. When he faints from the exertion, a doctor is called. He discovers that the dandy's mask hides his aged appearance. The doctor takes the old man home to his patient wife. She explains that her husband Ambroise used to attract the ladies who frequented the hairdresser salon where he worked, but in the space of two years, he lost his looks. He goes out in disguise in an attempt to recapture his youth.

La Maison Tellier

Julia Tellier, the well-respected madam of a small-town whorehouse, takes her girls on an outing to her brother's village to attend the first communion of her niece. Her regular patrons are taken aback when they discover the whorehouse closed without explanation that Saturday night. One finally discovers a sign explaining the reason and is relieved. Julia's brother becomes infatuated with Rosa, one of her workers, and promises to visit next month.

Le Modèle

An artist falls in love with his model. Things are idyllic at first, but after living together for a while, they begin to quarrel constantly. Finally, he moves in with his friend. She eventually finds him, but he wants no more to do with her. He ignores her threat to jump from a window, and is so guilt-ridden when she does so immediately that he marries her.

Cast

Le Masque

• Claude Dauphin as the doctor
• Gaby Morlay as Denise, Ambroise's wife
• Paul Azaïs as a dance hall patron
• Gaby Bruyère as Frimousse, Ambroise's dance partner
• Jean Galland as Ambroise

La Maison Tellier

• Madeleine Renaud as Julia Tellier
• Ginette Leclerc as Madame Flora, one of Julia's girls
• Mila Parély as Madame Raphaële, another of Julia's employees
• Danielle Darrieux as Madame Rosa, another worker
• Pierre Brasseur as Julien Ledentu, a traveling salesman who becomes too fresh with the girls on the train trip
• Jean Gabin as Joseph Rivet, Julia's brother
• Amédée as Frédéric, another whorehouse employee
• Antoine Balpêtré as Monsieur Poulain, a patron
• René Blancard as the mayor
• Mathilde Casadesus as Madame Louise, another worker
• Henri Crémieux as Monsieur Pimpesse
• Arthur Devère as the train conductor
• Paulette Dubost as Madame Fernande, another employee
• Jocelyne Jany as Constance Rivet, Julia's niece
• Robert Lombard as Monsieur Philippe, the banker's son, a patron
• Héléna Manson as Marie Rivet, Joseph's wife

Le Modèle

• Jean Servais as Jean's friend, also narrator of the French version
• Daniel Gélin as Jean, the painter
• Simone Simon as Joséphine, the model

External links

• Le Plaisir at IMDb
• "Max Ophul's le Plaisir" at the MOMA website