In 1946, Pagnol recalled his often stormy relationship with actor Raimu. Even in difficult times, and there were many between those two men who had the same accent as well as the same "passionate" temper, they would find suitable tone and words to talk to each other. They would be "at daggers drawn" with each other only to get together even better later on. They both considered, just like César and Panisse, that nothing can be serious enough to justify the most irreparable loss, the loss of a friend.

(LES ANNEES PAGNOL ("THE PAGNOL YEARS") – April 1989)
(Texts by Claude Beylie, Jean Douchet, Paul Giannoli and Jean-Charles Tacchella, introduced by Pierre Lagnand).

César

Production

Producer: Les Films Marcel Pagnol.
Production manager: Charles Pons.
Script, dialogues and direction: Marcel Pagnol.
Assistants: Pierre Méré, Le-Van-Kim, André Robert.
Visuals: Willy Faktorovitch, assisted by Willy-Gricha, Roger Ledru.
Set: Marius Brouquier.
Location: Marseille, Les Lecques coast, Toulon (shoot: May-August 1936).
Studios: Marcel Pagnol, Marseille.
Sound: Julien Coutellier, Banuls.
Music: Vincent Scotto.
Editing: Suzanne de Troye, Jeannette Ginestet.
First public screening: Paris, mid-November 1936.
(Initial) running time: 2h12.

Performers

Raimu - César
Pierre Fresnay - Marius
Orane Demazis - Fanny
Fernand Charpin - Panisse
André Fouché - Césariot
Alida Rouffe - Honorine
Milly Mathis - Tante Claudine
Robert Vattier - M. Brun
Paul Dullac - Escartefigue
Maupi - Le chauffeur
Thomeray - Le curé de Saint
Jean Castan - L'enfant de choeur
Robert Bassac - Pierre Dromard
Rellys - L'employé de Panisse
Charblay - Henri, patron du bistrot de Toulon
Odette Roger - La servante de l'hôtel
Louis Boulle - Elzéar, le frère de Panisse
Albert Spanna - Le facteur

Story

Fanny, abandoned by Marius, marries Panisse who adopts Césariot, the love child, and raises him as though he was his own child. Today, Césariot is now an adult and Panisse is dying. Fanny tells the truth to her son who then decides to go and look for Marius, his father.