La Comédie du bonheur

Le Comedie du Bonheur
Directed by	Marcel L'Herbier
Written by	Gaetano Campanile-Mancini André Cerf Fernand Noziere
Based on	play "Samoe glavnoe" by Nikolai Evreinov Jean Cocteau (additional dialogue)
Starring	Michel Simon Ramon Novarro Jacqueline Delubac Micheline Presle Louis Jourdan
Release dates	1940 (Italy) 1942 (Frances)
Countries	France Italy
Language	French

Le Comedie du Bonheur (also known as Ecco La Felicità in Italy and Comedy of Happiness in England) is a 1940 French-Italian film. It was the first completed film of Louis Jourdan.

Plot

When wealthy banker Francois Jourdain starts spending his money on philanthropic causes, his relatives have him committed to a psychiatric clinic to save their inheritance. During Mardi Gras celebrations, Jourdain escapes and takes residence in a boarding house inhabited by several miserable individuals, including Lydia, the suicidal Russian Fedor, and bitter old spinster Miss Aglae. Francois hires some actors, led by Deribin, to take up residence there and cheer up the inhabitants by putting on a musical production of Quo Vadis.

Félix, the lead actor, begins romancing Lydia to improve her self-esteem. Felix's wife Anita convinces Fédor that life is worth living, and Deribin tries to cheer up Miss Aglaé. Jourdain's family go looking for him.

Cast

• Michel Simon as François Jourdain
• Ramon Novarro as Félix
• Micheline Presle as Lydia
• Jacqueline Delubac as Anita
• Louis Jourdan as Fédor
• Sylvie as Madame Marie
• André Alerme as Déribin
• Magdeleine Bérubet as Miss Aglaé
• Marcel Vallée as Doctor Acario
• René Génin

Production

The movie was based on a 1921 play and was filmed at the Scalera Studios in Rome. It was one of the few films made outside Hollywood by Ramon Novarro.

External links

• La Comédie du bonheur at IMDb
• La Comedie du Bonheur at Monsieur Louis Jourdan
• Film review at Films de France