Le Capitan/The Captain (Robert Vernay, 1946) was one of the popular Swashbucklers or Sword and Dagger films made in France in the years after the Second World War. It was produced by the Compagnie Franco Coloniale Cinématographique (CFCC). To promote the film, a series of wonderful postcards was published by A.N. in Paris. The pictures for the cards are atmospheric portraits of the main actors in character, shot by the Parisian photographer and cinematographer Pierre Ancrenaz. Only of the title character, played by Jean Paqui, we have a card from a different postcard series.
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1228. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Pierre Renoir as the Duke of Angouleme in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1225. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Claude Génia as Gisèle d'Angoulême in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by Ciné-Selection. Photo: Ancrenaz. Jean Paqui as Le Captitan in Le Capitan (1946).
Le Capitan is the nickname of young Adhémar de Capestang, played by Jean Pâqui. In 1616 he arrives in Paris looking for fortune. He falls in love with beautiful Gisele d’Angouleme. Her father, though, is messed up in a conspiracy against the young king Louis XIII (Serge Emrich).
Marshall Concino Concini (Aimé Clariond) wants to keep the power that his lover, queen-mother Marie de Médicis (Huguette Duflos), gave to him. The Captain fights the conspiracy and defends the young king. At the end, Concini is killed.
Le Capitan/The Captain stars Pierre Renoir as the Duke of Angoulême, and Claude Génia as his daughter Gisèle d’Angoulême, and Jean Pâqui as Le Capitan.
Co-stars are Sophie Desmarets as Marion Delorme, Huguette Duflos as Marie de Medici, Aimé Clairiond as Concino Concini, and Lise Delamare as his wife, Léonore Caligaï.
Other cast members were Jean Tissier as Cogelin, Maurice Escande as Le prince de Condé, Alexandre Rignault as Rinaldo, and Serge Emrich as the young Louis XIII. The script for the film was written by director Robert Vernay himself and was based on a novel by Michel Zévaco.
D.B. DuMonteil at IMDb: "Vernay was a pure entertainment director: not much food for thought in his works but action-packed stories, duels, treason, abductions, wild rides, love affairs, and the whole shebang; although his direction is effective, his scripts are often muddled, and there are so many characters in his story that the viewer gets sometimes lost in the middle of the plot."
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1221. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Lise Delmare as Léonore Caligaï in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1222. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Sophie Desmarets as Marion Delorme in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1223. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Huguette Duflos as Marie de Medici in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1224. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Serge Emrich as King Louis XIII in Le capitan (1946).
Concini and his wife, Leonora Dori Galigai, really existed. Galigai was a favourite of Maria de Medici. When Maria became queen consort of Henry IV, Leonora followed her to France. After the death of Henry IV in 1610, Maria became regent of France.
Galigai managed to lift her husband Concino Concini (who may have had a say in Henry IV's murder) to the rank of Marshall of France and he supposedly became the Queen's lover. Because of her epilepsy, Galigai was believed to be possessed. The superstitious Queen hired her for exorcism and white magic and paid her huge sums.
Galigai earned extra by bribing anyone who wanted access to the Queen. Galigai and Concini practically ruled France, favoriting the Tuscan nobility and weakening the power of French nobility.
In 1617 the young king Louis XIII and his aids overthrew the rule of Maria de Medici, murdered Concini, while Leonora Galigai was accused of witchcraft. She was publicly beheaded and burned to the stake.
In 1960 a popular remake of the film would be made by André Hunebelle, also titled Le Capitan/The Captain. The film starred Jean Marais as Le Capitan, Bourvil as Cogolin and Elsa Martinelli as Gisèle. Lise Delamare was again in the cast, now as Marie de Médicis.
D.B. DuMonteil compared both versions at IMDb: "It's interesting to compare it with the remake by André Hunebelle in 1959: the part of Cogolin was fleshed out because it was played by Bourvil and the part of Marion Delorme, too scandalous, was replaced by that of a harmless Italian brunette, to give it a "suitable for all audiences" taste. Jean Marais, although too old for the role, possessed much more charisma than the obscure (and forgotten) Jean Paqui, but the young king is more endearing in the first version."
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1226. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Françoise Moor as Anne of Austria, Queen of France (1601-1666), in Le capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1227. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Jean Tissier as Cogolin in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1228. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Aimé Clariond as Concini in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1229. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Alexandre Rignault as Renaldo in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1239. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Sophie Desmarets as Marion Delorme in Le Capitan (1946).
Sources: D.B. DuMonteil (IMDb), Wikipedia and IMDb.
This post was last updated on 19 June 2020.
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1228. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Pierre Renoir as the Duke of Angouleme in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1225. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Claude Génia as Gisèle d'Angoulême in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by Ciné-Selection. Photo: Ancrenaz. Jean Paqui as Le Captitan in Le Capitan (1946).
A conspiracy against the young King Louis XIII
Le Capitan is the nickname of young Adhémar de Capestang, played by Jean Pâqui. In 1616 he arrives in Paris looking for fortune. He falls in love with beautiful Gisele d’Angouleme. Her father, though, is messed up in a conspiracy against the young king Louis XIII (Serge Emrich).
Marshall Concino Concini (Aimé Clariond) wants to keep the power that his lover, queen-mother Marie de Médicis (Huguette Duflos), gave to him. The Captain fights the conspiracy and defends the young king. At the end, Concini is killed.
Le Capitan/The Captain stars Pierre Renoir as the Duke of Angoulême, and Claude Génia as his daughter Gisèle d’Angoulême, and Jean Pâqui as Le Capitan.
Co-stars are Sophie Desmarets as Marion Delorme, Huguette Duflos as Marie de Medici, Aimé Clairiond as Concino Concini, and Lise Delamare as his wife, Léonore Caligaï.
Other cast members were Jean Tissier as Cogelin, Maurice Escande as Le prince de Condé, Alexandre Rignault as Rinaldo, and Serge Emrich as the young Louis XIII. The script for the film was written by director Robert Vernay himself and was based on a novel by Michel Zévaco.
D.B. DuMonteil at IMDb: "Vernay was a pure entertainment director: not much food for thought in his works but action-packed stories, duels, treason, abductions, wild rides, love affairs, and the whole shebang; although his direction is effective, his scripts are often muddled, and there are so many characters in his story that the viewer gets sometimes lost in the middle of the plot."
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1221. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Lise Delmare as Léonore Caligaï in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1222. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Sophie Desmarets as Marion Delorme in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1223. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Huguette Duflos as Marie de Medici in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1224. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Serge Emrich as King Louis XIII in Le capitan (1946).
Exorcism and white magic
Concini and his wife, Leonora Dori Galigai, really existed. Galigai was a favourite of Maria de Medici. When Maria became queen consort of Henry IV, Leonora followed her to France. After the death of Henry IV in 1610, Maria became regent of France.
Galigai managed to lift her husband Concino Concini (who may have had a say in Henry IV's murder) to the rank of Marshall of France and he supposedly became the Queen's lover. Because of her epilepsy, Galigai was believed to be possessed. The superstitious Queen hired her for exorcism and white magic and paid her huge sums.
Galigai earned extra by bribing anyone who wanted access to the Queen. Galigai and Concini practically ruled France, favoriting the Tuscan nobility and weakening the power of French nobility.
In 1617 the young king Louis XIII and his aids overthrew the rule of Maria de Medici, murdered Concini, while Leonora Galigai was accused of witchcraft. She was publicly beheaded and burned to the stake.
In 1960 a popular remake of the film would be made by André Hunebelle, also titled Le Capitan/The Captain. The film starred Jean Marais as Le Capitan, Bourvil as Cogolin and Elsa Martinelli as Gisèle. Lise Delamare was again in the cast, now as Marie de Médicis.
D.B. DuMonteil compared both versions at IMDb: "It's interesting to compare it with the remake by André Hunebelle in 1959: the part of Cogolin was fleshed out because it was played by Bourvil and the part of Marion Delorme, too scandalous, was replaced by that of a harmless Italian brunette, to give it a "suitable for all audiences" taste. Jean Marais, although too old for the role, possessed much more charisma than the obscure (and forgotten) Jean Paqui, but the young king is more endearing in the first version."
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1226. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Françoise Moor as Anne of Austria, Queen of France (1601-1666), in Le capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1227. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Jean Tissier as Cogolin in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1228. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Aimé Clariond as Concini in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1229. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Alexandre Rignault as Renaldo in Le Capitan (1946).
French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 1239. Photo: Ancrenaz / C.F.C.C. Sophie Desmarets as Marion Delorme in Le Capitan (1946).
Sources: D.B. DuMonteil (IMDb), Wikipedia and IMDb.
This post was last updated on 19 June 2020.
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