Anatole à la Tour de Nesle - 1947
ABOUT THE FILM : Anatole à la Tour de Nesle
Lobster FilmsAnatole at the Nesle Tower
Year: 1947
“Parisians sleep well, it is midnight” calls the town crier. However at the “Cul Sec” (Bottoms Up) inn, a woman has made a strange request. Margot demands a squire that very evening at the Nesle Tower.
Anatole and his rival Sparadra employ a wealth of inventive wiles to win the heart of the beauty. They mount their destriers and confront each other mercilessly. The graceful skinny chap against the big bald portly fellow. Watching this combat, the chubby damsel slaps her thighs!
This mad animated cartoon will delight young and old alike.
Nationality: French
Length: 10' 38"
Genre: animation
Sound: sound
Original elements: colour
Producer: Productions du Cygne
Composer: Jacques Météhen
Original language: French
A BRIEF HISTORY : Anatole à la Tour de Nesle
This colour animation was completed in 1946, two years after Albert Dubout began his drawings for it.
Albert Dubout (1905-1976) studied at the fine arts school in Montpellier. He began his career illustrating books for the publisher Editions Kra, for example, Les Embarras de Paris (The confusion of Paris), Le Barbier de Séville (The Barber of Seville) and Gargantua. His style soon became recognisable. He painted and drew many film posters, in particular for his friend Marcel Pagnol (1895-1974). In 1932, Dubout turned his hand to animation, experimenting with drawing directly onto the film stock.
War broke out and hindered creativity. During Occupation, the Productions du Cygne (Swan Productions) managed to launch several projects for short animations. Albert Dubout put together a skilled team. Marcel Bouret, caricaturist, cabaret singer and humorist was one member.
Dubout took up again with his favourite characters: the fat lady and her skinny husband. It was not until 1947 however, that Margot's resonant laughter could be heard in the auditorium.
The music and sound effects were the work of Jacques Météhen (1903-1986) who returned to Europe in 1945. This virtuoso of the baguette maintained a frenetic rhythm throughout the animated film. Conductor at the Casino de Paris, Météhen gained renown as musical director for La Grande Vadrouille (Don't Look Now - We're Being Shot at) and for most of the films of Georges Auric, Anatole Litvak (Aimez-vous Brahms? - Do you like Brahms?) and Jules Dassin (Du Rififi chez les hommes - Rififi).
This Anatole was one of a series of three animated cartoon films, with Anatole fait du camping (Anatole goes camping), commenced in 1942 and completed at the end of the war and Anatole Chéri (Anatole Darling) distributed in 1951. The films all used the Agfacolor colour process.
