Madame Sans – Gêne is a French – Spanish – Italian film directed by Christian – Jaque and released in 1961 .
Synopsis
Catherine is a laborer during the Revolution. She provides a young lieutenant, penniless, who forgets to pay her. She is courted by a non-commissioned officer, Sergeant Lefebvre, but she is concerned about her reputation … On August 10, 1792, during the Paris riots, she saves an Austrian soldier to whom the crowd wants to make a bad party.
Twenty years later, wife of Marshal Lefebvre, Catherine caused scandal in the court of the Emperor by his casualness and his outspokenness, so much so that Napoleon suggested to Lefebvre to divorce him. However, in a dark history probably mounted by Fouche, where the Empress Marie-Louise is suspected of a secret relationship with an Austrian diplomat (the officer saved by Catherine in 1792) Madame Sans-Gene will play a decisive role. And the emperor will pay homage to him, after admitting the innocence of his wife and acknowledged his debt to his former maid.
Technical sheet
- Title: Madame Sans-Gêne
- Director: Christian-Jaque
- Scenario: Christian-Jaque , Ennio De Concini , Jose Luis Dibildos , Jean Ferry , Rafael García Serrano , Henri Jeanson and Franco Solinas after a play Émile Moreau and Victorien Sardou
- Music: Angelo Francesco Lavagnino
- Photography: Roberto Gerardi
- Poster: Yves Thos
- Editing: Eraldo Da Roma , Jacques Desagneaux and Alfonso Santacana
- Set decorator: Jean d’Eaubonne and Santiago Ontañón
- Costumes: Antonio Cortés , Marcel Escoffier and Italia Scandariato
- Country of origin: France , Spain , Italy
- Producer: Carlo Ponti , Elie Schluper and Serge Silberman (uncredited)
- Production Companies: Champion, Cine-Alliance, GESI Cinematografica, Ágata Films SA
- Distribution Company: Interfilm and Cinédis
- Format: color by Eastmancolor – monophonic :
- Version 35 mm – 2.35: 1 Technirama
- 70 mm version – 2.20.1 Super Technirama
- Genre: dramatic comedy , historical film
- Duration: 98 min / USA: 104 min
- Release dates: Italy : ; Spain : ; France : ; United States :
Distribution
- Sophia Loren : Catherine Hubscher , known as “Madame Sans-Gêne”
- Robert Hossein : Sergeant François-Joseph Lefebvre
- Renaud Mary : Fouche
- Léa Gray
- Gianrico Tedeschi : Pug
- Marina Berti : Elisa Bonaparte
- Enrique Ávila : Sergeant Fricasse
- Carlo Giuffrè : Jerome Bonaparte
- Fernando Sancho : Apple tree
- Bruno Carotenuto : Blanchet – a guard
- Gabriella Pallotta : Heloise
- Célina Cély : Anna called Ziguette
- Analía Gadé : Caroline Bonaparte
- Julien Bertheau : Napoleon Bonaparte