Prayer to the Stars

Marcel Pagnol is a famous French poet, writer and filmmaker. His stories usually revolve around the south of France, in Provence. These stories are sometimes told through several generations, hence the many episodes like his three films Marius,Fanny and César (the first one being directed by Alexander Korda because it was the birth of sound films and he needed someone to master the technique).

Josette "dwarfing" her screen partners

His films sometimes star his wives and girlfriends. The above-mentioned trilogy features Orane Demazis. His girlfriend Josette Day starred in The Well-digger's Daughter, and finally, he married Jacqueline Pagnol, who is the famous Manon of the Springs on-screen. These favors sometimes eclipsed the film stars hired in Pagnol films. When Fernandel and Raimu found out that Josette Day’s head was much bigger than theirs on the poster, they went: “Look! Snow White and the Two Dwarfs.”

Josette Day (Florence) & Pierre Blanchar (Pierre)

During the war, it was Pagnol’s decision to work free from the censorship of the authority of Vichy in occupied France. Luckily, his studios in the south of France, were in the free zone.

During the shoot of The Well-digger's Daughter, the filming had to be interrupted because of the loss of the war in 1940, the script modified to take into account the profound changes in the political aspects of France. Nonetheless, the film was finished and released. It was recently remade by Daniel Auteuil.

The next project was a film called La prière aux étoiles (Prayer To The Stars). Again his then wife, Josette Day, was to star. The script soon developed into a very long film, so long that he decided to make it another trilogy, each episode named each protagonist: Dominique, Pierre and Florence, much like his first.

Florence meets Pierre at the fair in Paris. The two fall in love and leave for the south of France. Florence's past with Dominique threatens her relationship with her very jealous new boyfriend.

This film was a drastic change for Pagnol since many scenes were to take place in Paris (and in the amusement park of Pagnol’s friend Léon Volterra), far away from his cherished Provence (which at the time, meant filming in occupied France). Also, the story was somewhat autobiographical.

Josette Day as Florence

Filming began in 1941. Unfortunately, film was a difficult material to get at this time, and what Pagnol managed to get was of a lesser quality. Also, the Germans tried to get him to get him to make a film for them. Thinking it unwise to refuse flatly, he pretended that he is going blind and sold his Paris and Marseille studios to Gaumont, along with his film laboratories in 1942.

Carette & Josette Day

Editor Jeannette Ginestet-Rongier believed, along with many others that the actual reason behind the end of the film was the departure of Josette Day who had left Pagnol, who, in his rage, destroyed most of his material.

Josette went on to create the role of Belle in Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast.

A little over 10 minutes of footage survive and are available on the bonus disc of the French DVD of The Well-digger's Daughter. You can also buy the script of the film (provided you read French) on amazon.

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That's all for today folks!