The name Leo Joannon seldom troubles film scholars today if in fact it ever did but time was - the thirties and forties - he turned out some pretty tasty entertainment, Quelle drole de gosse, vous n'avez rien a declarer, Caprices, the first and last with Danielle Darrieux. In all he directed some 35 movies and wrote approximately the same amount but in the fifties he got religion and turned his hand to fare of a far different kind and this entry is typical. In crude terms an Italiean puts his trust in and his money for safe keeping with an antique dealer. Comes the day he wants it back. What money? says the antique dealer, I never saw you before. Wrong move. The dealer gets it where the chicken got the axe and the killer is spotted leaving the scene by the eponymous Sister Angele who keeps schtoom. Later, in mufti, she meets the killer again en route to Marseilles and decides to help him that being the Christian thing to do. After that it's downhill all the way. I kept watching because Joannon still retained his style and technique but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.
2 Reviews
Beware of antique dealers
dbdumonteil29 March 2008
1967: Leo Joannon made his very last movie starring pop star Adamo:the villain is an antique dealer;this hateful man agrees to lend some money to the poor students in return for ...homosexual relations.The nice clean cut student kills him.
Let's go back in time 1956 "Le Secret de Soeur Angèle" : a poor wop entrusts his savings to... an antique dealer's care .Bad idea.When he comes back to claim his dough,the villain acts as if they've never met.And the poor Italian immigrant (Raf Vallone )kills him.
Sister Angele (check the title) saw him leaving the antique dealer's shop .En route to Marseille ,she meets again this man on the train.But as she does not wear her nun's clothes ,he does not recognize her.
The rest of the movie is an extravaganza,something so absurd,so over-the-top it has to be seen to be believed."Le Secret de Soeur Angele" belongs to those edifying flicks ,Joannon's specialty in the late fifties,the likes of "le Défroqué " Le Désert de Pigalle" or "Tant D'Amour Perdu").When there is a soul to save ,nothing will stop the priest (or the nun).
So sister Angele decides to help her unfortunate companion.She accompanies him into a brothel (you read well) "just because he needs some sleep and some rest" .In Marseille harbor ,a ship is in quarantine ,cause there's the plague ahoy (you read well) .If you come to their rescue (and there are Asian children ,on account of the Indochina situation in the fifties ),you may never come back.On the ship,they die like flies ("remember me to my son ,says a moribund doctor to one of his colleagues,take good care of him,he wants to become a doctor too").So sister acts !She takes her courage in both hands,and the Italian too (reluctantly),and they bring sweet relief to the passengers.
For Sunday school of long ago.....
Let's go back in time 1956 "Le Secret de Soeur Angèle" : a poor wop entrusts his savings to... an antique dealer's care .Bad idea.When he comes back to claim his dough,the villain acts as if they've never met.And the poor Italian immigrant (Raf Vallone )kills him.
Sister Angele (check the title) saw him leaving the antique dealer's shop .En route to Marseille ,she meets again this man on the train.But as she does not wear her nun's clothes ,he does not recognize her.
The rest of the movie is an extravaganza,something so absurd,so over-the-top it has to be seen to be believed."Le Secret de Soeur Angele" belongs to those edifying flicks ,Joannon's specialty in the late fifties,the likes of "le Défroqué " Le Désert de Pigalle" or "Tant D'Amour Perdu").When there is a soul to save ,nothing will stop the priest (or the nun).
So sister Angele decides to help her unfortunate companion.She accompanies him into a brothel (you read well) "just because he needs some sleep and some rest" .In Marseille harbor ,a ship is in quarantine ,cause there's the plague ahoy (you read well) .If you come to their rescue (and there are Asian children ,on account of the Indochina situation in the fifties ),you may never come back.On the ship,they die like flies ("remember me to my son ,says a moribund doctor to one of his colleagues,take good care of him,he wants to become a doctor too").So sister acts !She takes her courage in both hands,and the Italian too (reluctantly),and they bring sweet relief to the passengers.
For Sunday school of long ago.....
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