Envoi de fleurs

Based on the (romanticized) life of singer/songwriter Paul Delmet , "envoi de fleurs" recalls "le gitan" for its gloomy wistful atmosphere ;it belongs to the handful of movies which are not only vehicles for singer/actor Tino Rossi. Made by past master of melodrame Jean Stelli has a first scene and a finale Douglas Sirk would not disown.

Whereas many Rossi movies made him the superstar who always win the audience over ,this one is a different matter : the singer/songwriter is torn between a true love ,Suzanne , and his career ; but it's not that simple : the love interest is younger than him,she's a chatelaine ;even though he is famous , he does not belong to her world: it is a costume drama ,it happens in the early years of the twentieth century and at the time popular singers were not idols .

Jean Brochard serves a foil to Rossi ,and in the movie he is too :more ,he is a failed actor Hippolyte ,who spouts Corneille's verses ,and the singer's protégé :without him , he would never be hired in "le chat noir" where Paul performs .

Sophie , his mistress and thus Suzanne's rival continues to take care of him when he becomes poor and terminally hill (TB).

Rossi sings ,of course,but for once his tracks generally fit in the context of the story,particularly the last one "la petite église" , in a superbly filmed , deeply moving finale .