The Daughter of the Railroad Crossing Guard

1975 1h 35m FR

🤯

10.0

MASTERPIECE

★10.0TMDB · 1

Comedy

Synopsis

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Based on the idea by Roland Topor (screenwriter of Roman Polanski's The Tenant), this very curious completely silent melodrama tells the story of Mona, who has left her father, the railway gatekeeper, after being raped on the train track. She is kidnapped and taken to a Parisian whorehouse. However, a disinherited prince, Dudu who tries to rescue her, is himself kidnapped and forced to serve as a male prostitute. The two captives meet there and fall in love. They are taken away by different rich people - he to an Arab "harem," she to a surgeon's home.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Mona Heftre
Mona
Michel Dussarat
Dudu
Annick Berger
Madame Julien
Jean-Paul Farré
Le maire
Valérie Kling
Gertrude, la femme du maire
Jean-Paul Muel
Sheik Abdullah
Roland Topor
Le pochard
Jérôme Savary
Le garde-barrière

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jérôme Savary
Writers: Jérôme Savary, Roland Topor
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

51 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

CRAFT

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Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jérôme Savary, shot by Robert Alazraki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Claude Reznik shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Mona Heftre and Michel Dussarat and Annick Berger carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0072984 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jérôme Savary directs. Robert Alazraki behind the camera. Claude Reznik cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

151 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Jérôme Savary, shot by Robert Alazraki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Claude Reznik shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Mona Heftre and Michel Dussarat and Annick Berger carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0072984 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
8Classified under 8 themes, including "brothel", "marriage", "gatekeeper", "surrealism".