The Shameless Old Lady
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
René Allio
Sylvie
Malka Ribovska
Victor Lanoux
Étienne Bierry
François Maistre
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Madame Berthe is 70 years old when her husband dies. All of her life has been spent in a small village on the outskirts of Marseilles where she has raised her five children and helped her husband run his modest business. Following their father's funeral, the children hold a meeting to decide what to do with the old woman. To their surprise, Madame Berthe decides to live alone on a small pension to be provided by her children. She salvages what she can from her husband's bankrupt business but soon finds that she is no longer content with the routine of her drab and uneventful life. Filled with curiosity about the world she has never known, she sells what few valuables she owns and delights in visiting department stores, where she discovers ice cream sundaes. Although her behavior irritates and baffles her family, it wins her the affection and friendship of Rosalie, a young waitress and part-time prostitute, and Alphonse, an anarchistic shoemaker who dreams of owning his own shop. Madame Berthe's grandson Pierre visits her on behalf of his scandalized father but grows sympathetic to the old woman; he, too, would like to break away from the family business to play guitar in a band. Soon, Pierre embarks on an affair with Rosalie. One day, to the astonishment of all, Madame Berthe takes the last of her meager inheritance, buys a second-hand car, and goes off on a vacation with Rosalie. Shortly after their return, she buys a small shop for Alphonse and gives the car to Rosalie, who leaves Pierre with photographs of the trip. Having lived a whole new life in 18 months, the old woman then peacefully dies.
Director
René Allio
Cast
Sylvie
Malka Ribovska
Victor Lanoux
Étienne Bierry
François Maistre
Pascale De Boysson
Léna Delanne
Jeanne Hardeyn
Jean-louis Lamande
Robert Bousquet
André Jourdan
Armand Meffre
Pierre Decazes
Jean Bouise
André Thorent
Max Amyl
Emmanuelle Drey
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Opened in Paris in March 1965 as La vieille dame indigne; running time: 90 min.
Miscellaneous Notes
Voted One of the Five Best Foreign Language Films of the Year by the 1966 National Board of Review.
Shown at 1965 Montreal Film Festival.
Shown at 1965 Rio De Janeiro Film Festival.
Shown at 1965 Venice Film Festival.
Shown at New York Film Festival September 17, 1966.
dialogue French
