Jour de Fête

1949 1h 26m FR

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 254

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Jour de Fête tells the story of an inept and easily-distracted French mailman who frequently interrupts his duties to converse with the local inhabitants, as well as inspect the traveling fair that has come to his small community. Influenced by too much wine and a newsreel account of rapid transportation methods used by the United States postal system, he goes to hilarious lengths to speed the delivery of mail while aboard his bicycle.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Jacques Tati
François, the postman
Guy Decomble
Roger
Paul Frankeur
Marcel
Santa Relli
Roger's wife
Maine Vallée
Jeannette
Roger Rafal
Hairdresser
Jacques Beauvais
Cafe owner
Delcassan
Gossip

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jacques Tati
Writers: Jacques Tati, Henri Marquet, René Wheeler
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

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

77 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jacques Tati, shot by Jacques Mercanton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jean Yatove. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Jacques Tati and Guy Decomble and Paul Frankeur carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0040497 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jacques Tati directs. Jacques Mercanton behind the camera. Jean Yatove scores. Marcel Morreau cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
277 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Jacques Tati, shot by Jacques Mercanton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Jean Yatove. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Marcel Morreau shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Jacques Tati and Guy Decomble and Paul Frankeur carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0040497 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Released under 11 different titles around the world.