Synopsis
To save the abbey from ruin, Father Gaucher starts making an elixir… Or is it a liqueur?
Marcel Pagnol, who met his master Alphonse Daudet again, had the ambition to shoot several “LETTERS”. He started with “LES TROIS MESSES BASSES”, “L’ÉLIXIR DU PÈRE GAUCHER” and “LE SECRET DE MAÎTRE CORNILLE”, in 1954. These are the most Provencal of the series. It was not until 1967 that he directed “LE CURÉ DE CUCUGNAN” for television, thus completing his film adaptation of the “LETTERS”.
Technical data
- Genre: Comedy
- Duration: 2h40
- Director: Marcel Pagnol, assisted by Marcel Château, Jacques Pagnol
- Screenplay: Marcel Pagnol based on the collection of short stories Letters from my Windmill by Alphonse Daudet
- Adaptation and dialogue: Marcel Pagnol
- Set design: Robert Giordani and Jean Mandaroux
- Costumes: Lucien Poly
- Photography: Willy Faktorovitch
- Operator: René Mathelin assisted by Clément Maure
- Editing: Monique Lacombe, Jeanne Rongier, Jacqueline Bultez
- Music: Henri Tomasi, (musical editions Alphonse Leduc)
- Dressers: Marcelle Desprès and Yvette Gouraud
- Sound: Marcel Royné assisted by Heny Luke and Paul Zaccaro
- Make-up: Paul Ralph
- Cari’s wigs
- Set photographer: Al Susterre
- Script-girl: Régine Hernou
- Director: Louis Manella and Emile Blondé
- Location manager: Henri Garcia
- Props: P. Laitière and M. Laudrain
- Producer: Marcel Pagnol
- Production companies: Eminente Films, Compagnie Méditerranéenne de Films
- Director of production: Jean Martinetti, Charles Pons
- Production manager: Antoine Rossi
- Production Secretary: Annette Millet
- Technical agent: Bruno Negri With the assistance of the Petits Chanteurs de Provence, under the direction of Reverend Father Geoffroy
- Filming: in the studios of Marseille and for the exteriors at the Alphonse Daudet mill in Fontvieille, in the abbey of St-Michel de Frigolet and in the priory of Ganagobie. Marius Brouquier built the mill of Master Cornille
- Distributor: Gaumont
Distribution
- Rellys: Father Gaucher
- Robert Vattier: The father abbot
- Christian Lude: Brother Sylvester
- Fernand Sardou: Mr. Charnigue
- Jean-Marie Bon: Father Joachim
- J. Riozet: Brother Hyacinth
