The Christmas Tree
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Terence Young
William Holden
Virna Lisi
Bourvil
Brook Fuller
Madeleine Damien
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Laurent, a widowed French-American millionaire, and his 10-year-old son, Pascal, are fishing near a desolate Corsican beach when a plane carrying an atomic weapon explodes overhead. Because Laurent is swimming underwater at the time, he suffers no harmful effects, but Pascal is exposed to radiation and develops leukemia. Upon learning that his son has only a few months to live, Laurent stops working and takes Pascal to his country chateau. With the aid of his fiancée, Catherine, an art director for Paris Match, his wartime friend Verdun, who works as a caretaker at the chateau, and Verdun's wife, Marinette, Laurent tries to indulge the child's every whim. It soon becomes apparent that Pascal is aware of his fatal illness and calmly accepts the approach of death. Pascal loves his surroundings, and his father buys him a blue tractor and trailer to drive around the chateau grounds. Because the boy shows an interest in wolves, Laurent and Verdun break into a Paris zoo and steal two of the animals so that Pascal may train them as pets. After one of the wolves is rescued from a fall into a well, the boy nurses the animal. Later, a wild stallion colt attacks Pascal while he plays, and the wolves come to his rescue. On Christmas Eve, while Verdun is dressing for dinner and Laurent and Catherine are out doing last-minute shopping, Pascal begins to weaken. Upon returning to the chateau, Laurent discovers that his son has died at the foot of the Christmas tree, surrounded by his opened presents and guarded by his two howling pet wolves. Pascal's last gift to his father is a hand-carved wooden plaque wishing him and his friends good luck.
Director
Terence Young
Cast
William Holden
Virna Lisi
Bourvil
Brook Fuller
Madeleine Damien
Friedrich Ledebur
Mario Feliciani
Crew
Henri Alekan
Jean André
Robert André
Georges Auric
Tanine Autre
Karl Baumgartner
Fernand Bernardi
Daniel Braunschweig
Robert Dorfmann
Johnny Dwyre
Bernard Farrel
Paul Feyder
Marie-madeleine Paris
Raymond Picon-borel
Eugène Roman
Tony Roman
Alain Scemama
William R. Sivel
Robert Turlure
Georges Valon
Terence Young
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Location scenes filmed in Nice and Corsica. Paris opening: October 1969 as L'arbre de Noël; running time: 107 min. Italian title: L'albero di Natale.
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in France October 1969
Released in United States Fall September 25, 1969
Released in United States Fall September 25, 1969
Released in France October 1969
