Étoile sans lumière (1946)
Directed by Marcel Blistène

Film Review

Despite being a somewhat lacklustre melodrama (typifying the blandness of French cinema immediately after the Liberation), Étoile sans lumière retains a certain interest value with enthusiasts of cinema and French culture, almost exclusively because of its remarkable cast list.  Yves Montand makes his film debut, appearing alongside an equally young Serge Reggiani, some years before the two men became singing and acting legends in their native France.  Jules Berry and Marcel Herrand, two greatly respected actors before WWII, find themselves cast in their traditional film roles, but still manage to impress.  However, the biggest surprise - and the main reason for watching the film - is that singing icon Edith Piaf takes the leading role and, despite her comparative inexperience as an actress, delivers a poignant and credible performance.  If the dialogue and plot are a trifle stale and unengaging, the same cannot be said of Piaf's rendition of her songs, which remain as fresh and as emotionally crushing as ever.

Film Synopsis

Stella Dora was one of the great stars of the silent era, but with the arrival of sound she fears that her career may be about to take a sudden dive into obscurity.  Her looks may still be stunning but her voice is ordinary, not interesting enough for her to make a success in the talkies.  Despite the encouragement of her faithful manager and partner, Roger Marney, Stella becomes depressed and contemplates suicide.  Roger is determined to do whatever he can to save Stella's career, and in this he is helped by Madeleine, a hotel maid with a sweet voice who is lured into signing a contract to dub Stella's next film.  The ruse works better than Roger could ever have imagined - the film proves to be a hit and Stella Dora is as popular as ever.  But Madeleine becomes jealous of Stella's success and, consumed by bitterness, she makes up her mind to break her contract and expose the fraud, thereby destroying the star's career...