Un soir de réveillon

This film has an American title ("Christmas Eve") for it was -which was rare in the French early thirties- a Paramount production.Like all those first talkies,it was nothing but filmed stage production style.Adapted from an operetta ,which means that you can hear a song every five minutes;these songs have become unbearable,at least to my ears,but there's no accounting for taste.

The story: a lady killer meets "Un Soir de Reveillon" an innocent young thing -much smarter than he thought- .He wants her to become his mistress and he buys for her a town house.But this desirable property belongs to the girl's daddy.

The film would be stodgy and unwatchable if it were not for Arletty in a supporting part.Jean Boyer ,the writer,who came up with one or two good lines ,would work later with Arletty with much better results ("Circonstances Attenuantes") and a much better song ("Comme De Bien Entendu").

Fortunately,Arletty is often on the screen ,and the two best scenes belong to her:

-The very first scene (her voice is the first sound you hear,which is enough to be elated)when she decorates the Christmas tree with her English lover ,then breaks into " Il Est Né Le Divin Infant " before joining her bunch of revelers .

-The scene in her bathroom which is by far the best in the whole movie:the door seems open to every Tom,Dick and Harry.