Johnny Frenchman

1945

Action / Comedy / Drama / Romance / War

2
IMDb Rating 6.3/10 10 213 213

Plot summary

The fisherman from a Cornish village have a friendly rivalry with the fishermen (and one formidable woman) from a French port. Then war comes and they must all rethink their petty differences.

Director

Charles Frend Photo
Charles Frend

Top cast

Ralph Michael Photo
Ralph Michael as Bob Tremayne
Alfie Bass Photo
Alfie Bass as Corporal
Tom Walls Photo
Tom Walls as Nat Pomeroy
Jimmy Charters Photo
Jimmy Charters as Choir Practice Attendee
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
963.16 MB
988*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
24 fps
1 hr 44 min
Seeds ...
1.75 GB
1472*1072
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
24 fps
1 hr 44 min
Seeds 3

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by howardmorley 7 / 10

Vive la difference entre les Francais et les Anglais

I voted this film a very creditable 7/10 and was thoroughly entertained and amused by the good hearted and competing French vs English culture as it related to international fishing rights.The star of this film for me was Francoise Rosay who played a redoubtable Breton widow who has a son Yan, (played by that stalwart of British post war films which required a romantic French hero - Paul Dupuis).Francoise was born in 1891 and appeared in many French & English films and was perfectly cast as Lanec.She has some amusing battles with feisty Nat Pomeroy (Tom Walls) who is the local harbour master (and life boat volunteer) of a Cornish fishing town who has to keep an eye out for poaching French fishermen inside the English 3 mile fishing limit off the coast.Nat, (a presumed widower), has an attractive daughter, Sue Pomeroy, played by the equally attractive Patricia Roc.Tom and Patricia had previously appeared together in "Love Story" (1944) with Margaret Lockwood and Stewart Granger which was also set in Cornwall.In the latter film Tom had an avuncular relationship with Patricia so these two actors very easily relaxed into their part of father and daughter in "Johnny Frenchman".Although Sue has been friends since childhood with Bob Tremayne (Ralph Michael) she is undecided whether she wants to marry him despite Bob's urging.The action of "Johnny Frenchman" opens in March 1939 and leads up to June 1940.There is a scene in a Breton port where the French play host to "les Rosbifs" together with a wrestling match amongst the Cornish and Gallic fishermen where Yan breaks a bone whilst wrestling Bob, his love rival.Of course Sue has fallen for Yan and after a talk between Yan & Bob, (who has by now been called up into the navy), this is OK with Bob.All good natured stuff and I wondered whether Lanec and Nat would marry also as they seemed a perfect foil for each other.
Reviewed by HillstreetBunz 9 / 10

A window into another era

Other reviewers have detailed the plot of this marvellous little film, I watched it this morning where it was shown on UK television on the London Live channel (who have lately started to schedule a lot of little seen British films from the 40s and 50s). Story review aside, the film is a window on lost ways of life, lost communities, cultures, and unlike an historical pic, these worlds were extant as the film was made (though at the very end of their time). A curious insight into pre war local/international rivalries in fishing communities that straddled the channel for 100s of years. The War changes everything in the picture, as in life it seems to have brought to an end centuries of tradition (such as wearing local costume for the Brettoniers). I cannot leave off without saying how wonderful Francoise Rosy is. She brings a life to the picture that makes it fresh decades after it might have been forgotten. truly interesting and entertaining.
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