During the First World War, the Empyrée Montmartre, a Paris music-hall, is dedicated to patriotic revues whose star is the charming Mitsou. The young artist is not without talent but she is mainly well-connected. She is indeed the cherished mistress of Pierre Duroy-Lelong, a rich industrialist. One night, thanks to Petite-Chose, an ebullient singer-dancer and her co-star, she gets to know a handsome army, Lieutenant Bleu. Mitsou falls madly in love with him and Lieutenant Bleu is physically attracted to her. The trouble is that Bleu comes from a distinguished family and cannot put up with her lack of culture and artistic bad taste...
Acting
Delorme balances vulnerable and cunning perfectly.
Costume
Mitsou's patriotic revue outfits are unhinged.
Direction
Audry's rare 1950s female gaze on female ambition.
Director
Jacqueline Audry
Danièle Delorme
Mitsou
Fernand Gravey
Pierre Duroy-Lelong
François Guérin
Robert, Le Lieutenant Bleu
Claude Rich
Le Lieutenant Kaki
Denise Grey
Estelle
Jacques Duby
Raphaël
Jean-Marie Robain
Max Harry
Le concierge du 'Music-Hall'
Max Elloy
Le maître d'hôtel chez Larue
Maurice Sarfati
Le télégraphiste
Louis Viret
Yvonne Hébert
Jean Valmence
Pierre Palau
Beauty
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on Colette's semi-autobiographical novel; Audry was one of few women directing features in 1950s France.
The 'patriotic revues' were real — WWI-era music halls weaponized female performance for morale, creating weird tensions between national duty and personal desire that Mitsou embodies.
FR
