Merlusse

1935 1h 12m FR

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 26

DramaComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

"Merlusse" is French schoolboy slang for codfish, and M. Blanchard, a professor at a certain lycée, was known to his victims by that name. On Christmas Eve, when some twenty of the students—orphans, foreigners or just plain "unwanteds"—had to remain in the boarding school, Merlusse is placed in charge. His glass eye glares at them stonily, his good one with no less severity. He sets them to tasks, marches like a proctor up and down the aisles, exacts to the utmost the last measure of discipline. But when the youngsters awake in the morning, there are toys by each bed in the dormitory and M. Blanchard, no longer to be called Merlusse, is exposed for the softhearted fraud he is.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Henri Poupon
Merlusse
André Pollack
The Headmaster
Thommeray
The Dean
André Robert
The Senior Supervisor
Rellys
The Porter
Annie Toinon
Nathalie
Jean Castan
Galubert
Fernand Bruno
Catusse

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Marcel Pagnol
Writers: Marcel Pagnol
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 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 72-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

91 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Marcel Pagnol, shot by Albert Assouad. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Henri Poupon and André Pollack and Thommeray carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0026703 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 26 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Marcel Pagnol directs. Albert Assouad behind the camera. Suzanne de Troeye cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 72-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
291 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Marcel Pagnol, shot by Albert Assouad. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Suzanne de Troeye shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Henri Poupon and André Pollack and Thommeray carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0026703 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 26 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.