Fanny (film)

Infobox_Film
name = Fanny


caption = DVD cover
imdb_id = 0054866
amg_id = 1:16746
writer = Julius J. Epstein
S.N. Behrman (play)
Joshua Logan (play)
Harold Rome (play)
Marcel Pagnol (play)
starring = Leslie Caron
Horst Buchholz
Maurice Chevalier
Charles Boyer
director = Joshua Logan
producer = Ben Kadish
music = Harold Rome
cinematography = Jack Cardiff
editing = William Reynolds
country = flagicon|USA USA
distributor = Warner Bros.
released = June 28, 1961
runtime = 134 min.
language = English
budget =

"Fanny" is a 1961 film drama based on the 1954 musical "Fanny", about a young man torn between leaving his boring life for adventures at sea or staying behind with the girl he loves, and the consequences.

Starring Leslie Caron, Horst Buchholz, Maurice Chevalier, Charles Boyer, and Lionel Jeffries, it received multiple Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and
Best Actor in a Leading Role.

History

The movie was adapted by Julius J. Epstein from the 1954 musical "Fanny" by S. N. Behrman, Joshua Logan, and Harold Rome, which in turn had been adapted from the plays "Fanny", "Marius" and "César" by Marcel Pagnol. It was directed by Logan.

Plot

The story takes place in Marseilles in the early 1920s. The story begins with Escartifique (Salvatore Baccaloni) a ferry owner going into port and to Cesar's (Charles Boyer) Bar, where Cesar and his 19-year-old son Marius (Horst Buchholz) live and work. Marius wants more than anything to go to sea, but is hesitant being that he is in love with Fanny (Leslie Caron) a now 18-year-old girl he has grown up with. Fanny too is in love with Marius and flirts with him but Marius always rejects her. Fanny comes into the bar in a "skimpy dress" meant to tempt Marius.

Soon Pannise (Maurise Chevalier) owner of the biggest shop in town, shows up at the bar to perform the weekly "hat trick" meant to harm tourists. They put a rock under a hat in the middle of the street, and as people kick it, they hurt their feet. Fanny and Marius find this game childish and talk inside the bar. Fanny asks if he wants to take her to a dance on Sunday night, but Marius rejects her because he is planning to leave on the Malasie the following morning, for a five-year expedition around the world. This is encouraged by Marius's friend "the adrmiral" (Raymond Bussières) who is crazy. Fanny is offended and leaves to get mussels from her mother Annorine's(Georgette Anys) fish stand to give to Pannise, Escartifique, Cesar and Monsier Brun (Lionel Jeffries) their other friend. When Fanny comes back, Pannise invites her to have lunch with him inside the bar. Fanny and Pannise talk of Pannise's wife who has passed four months prior. Even though Pannise is nearly three times Fanny's age Fanny flirts with Pannise in an attempt to make Marius jealous. She succeeds as Marius eventually confronts Pannise and they begin to fight. Cesar intervenes however and tells Pannise not to touch Marius. After this has died down, Fanny still tries to flirt with Marius but he runs off with the Admiral to watch the Malasie come into port. Fanny tries to follow them but is stopped by her mother, being that her mother was confronted by Pannise who wanted to speak to her about something. Annorine thinks Pannise wants to marry her, when in actuality he wants to marry Fanny. Annorine says that if Fanny accepts than she sais yes too, being that Pannise is worth over 600,000 Franks. Although Annorine warns Pannise that he may be deceived by Fanny because she is in love with Marius. But Pannise doesn't seem to mind.

That night after a place on board the Malasie is secured, Marius goes back to his father's bar to help him lock up. Marius tells his father that he likes him very much, without trying to hint that he is actually saying goodbye. After Cesar goes up to bed, Marius finishes locking up. Fanny then appears and says that she has to talk to him. Fanny's mother is spending the night at a friend's home in another town. Marius tells her to meet him on the dock. Marius then makes noises to convince his father that he is going to bed, when he is actually sneaking out his window. He meets Fanny and Fanny tells him that Pannise wants to marry her but she refuses because she loves him. Marius then tells her of his plans to go on the Malasie and how his obsession with the sea began. He sais that more than anything he wishes to see the Isles Beneath the Wind, which was explained to him to be a place where black trees grow and when you cut them they're gold inside. Fanny says she'll wait for him but he tells her the trip is for five years and to forget about him. Fanny says she has always loved him and will never forget him. Marius then professes his love for Fanny and tells her "the reason i haven't gone before was you" and they kiss passionately. They then go into Fanny's house.

The next morning Annorine comes home early to find Marius's belt on their dining room chair. She opens the door to find Fanny and Marius sleeping together though the viewer does not see it. Annorine goes to Cesar and tells him. Once Marius has come back through the window, Cesar confronts Marius and Annorine brings Fanny over Cesar's. Annorine and Cesar plan to have the two married and begin making the dowry. While they are making this, The Admiral appears at Marius's window. Marius then realizes his plans to leave are now ruined and is filled with sadness. Fanny urges him to go because she doesn't want to hold him down, so he will eventually grow to hate her. Marius refuses and doesn't understand her. Fanny lies to him and sais she regrets saying no to Pannise and this angers Marius and he leaves on the boat. Fanny distracts Cesar so he doesn't see Marius leaving. Although Pannise sees Marius leave and tries to tell Cesar but Fanny urges him not to. Fanny then realizing Marius is gone, faints.

A few months later Cesar receives a letter from Marius saying how he is very happy and asks about Fanny and her marriage to Pannise. Cesar confronts Fanny about this and she says that she lied to Marius, Cesar asks if Fanny got a letter and she sais no. Soon after we learn that Fanny is pregnant with Marius's baby. Fanny discuss's this with her mother and Annorine suggests that Fanny marry Pannise to secure money and a home for Fanny and her child. Fanny goes to Pannise and says she accepts his proposal and tells him that she is pregnant with Marius's baby. Pannise says he doesn't care and his overjoyed because there is a chance of there being a male heir to carry on the Pannise name. Then Cesar comes into the store and he and Pannise begin to argue over something. In his anger Pannise tells Cesar of Fanny's pregnancy, and that Marius is the father. Cesar is outraged and tells Fanny not to marry Pannise and to write Marius and that he will come back. But Fanny says that Marius is very happy at sea, and doesn't want to tie him down. Pannise and Cesar make up a plan for Cesar to be the baby's godfather, so Cesar wont have to keep the baby a secret. They also decide that if it is a boy it is to be named Cesar Marius Pannise and for a nickname "Cesario". Fanny marries Pannise and gives birth to Cesario.

A year later it is Cesario's 1st birthday and Pannise is leaving to make a business deal in Paris. While he is out, Marius comes back on a short leave because they had to get some tools for the ship repaired. He is to leave again that night. After Marius sees his father, he goes to Pannise's home to visit Fanny. At first they are very casual. Marius soon explains that the Isles Beneath The Wind was merely volcanic ash. He is hinting that exploring isn't as great as he thought it would be. Marius soon finds out that Fanny's baby was his and he is angry. Cesar comes in and talks to Marius and explains that the father is "the one who loves" which is Pannise. Just then Pannise comes in and sais that he heard of a whooping cough epidemic and came home. He then see's Marius and sais that if he wants Marius can have Fanny but not the child, but Fanny won't leave without the child. Pannise then leaves the room to check on Cesario and leaves Fanny and Marius alone, though Cesar is there too. They both declare that they will always love each other. And Marius and Cesar leave.

10 years later Cesario is a grown boy and is playing with Annorine in their new home in the country. Pannise and Cesar are planning Cesario's birthday party. Fanny, Pannise and Cesar go into Ceasrio's room. Cesario asks about Cesar's son Marius and of he can be invited to the party. Everyone is kind of quiet but they all say how they liked him very much and he was a good man but they don't know where he is. Cesario says that he too wants to go to sea. Then Annorine is instructed to take Cesario to the park, but instead she takes him to the waterfront because she misses it. While there, Cesario talks to the Admiral while Annorine is talking to her friends. The Admiral takes Cesario on his boat. Where he is soon taken to the garage where Marius works. Once Marius sees his grown son he is overjoyed. Annorine soon discovering Cesario is lost runs home and tells Pannise and Fanny. Pannise has a heart attack and is taken to his room. Fanny goes to look for Cesario and soon figures out he was taken by the admiral. Fanny takes a boat over to Marius's garage.At the garage Cesario asks to go with Marius to America but Marius says that even though exploring was great, it wasn't worth it. He lost his family, his friends, and the love of his life. Just then Fanny comes in and says that Pannise is dying and they must get home. Marius drives them back.

Back at Pannise's home, everyone sees that Cesario and Fanny are home and discovers Marius is with them. Cesario goes upstairs to Pannise. Meanwhile Cesar and Marius talk. Fanny also explains to Marius she never told him about the baby because when she let him go she thought he would stop at the gangplank and come back to her but he didn't. So Fanny took revenge on herself. Just then Cesario says Pannise wants Fanny and Cesar. Cesario then invites Marius to stay for his party and Marius accepts. Fanny and Cesar talk to Pannise and Pannise asks Fanny to write a letter to Marius giving her away once Pannise is dead, Fanny can't do it, so Cesar does. Pannise asks him is he would mind if Cesario's kept the last name Pannise. Cesar then says "of course not, thanks to you there will be others". Pannise then dies. And we see Marius and Cesario playing on the trampoline at Cesario's party.

Cast

*Leslie Caron as Fanny
*Horst Buchholz as Marius
*Maurice Chevalier as Panisse
*Charles Boyer as Cesar
*Georgette Anys as Honorine (Fanny's Mother)
*Salvatore Baccaloni as Escartifique (Ferryboat Captain)
*Lionel Jeffries as Monsieur Brun (The Englishman)
*Raymond Bussieres as The Admiral
*Joel Flateau as Cesario (Fanny's Son)
*Victor Francen as Panisse's Elder Brother
*Paul Bonifas as The Postman

core

Harold Rome's music from the 1954 Broadway musical "Fanny", without songs, was used as underscoring for the movie.

Academy Award nominations

*Best Picture
*Best Actor in a Leading Role: Charles Boyer
*Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture: Harold Rome
*Best Cinematography, Color: Jack Cardiff
*Best Film Editing: William Reynolds

ee also

*Illegitimacy in fiction

External links

*imdb title | id=0054866 | title=Fanny
* [http://en.marcel-pagnol.com/ Marcel Pagnol official website]