# La Poison > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/La_Poison > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/La_Poison.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Poison > Source revision: 1341453488 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1951 French film La Poison Theatrical release poster Directed by Sacha Guitry Written by Sacha Guitry Produced by Paul Wagner Alain Poiré Starring Michel Simon Germaine Reuver Cinematography Jean Bachelet Edited by Raymond Lamy Music by Louiguy Distributed by Gaumont Distribution Release date 30 November 1951 (1951-11-30) Running time 85 minutes Country France Language French ***La Poison***[1][2] is a 1951 French [comedy](/source/Comedy_film) [drama](/source/Drama_film) film, written and directed by [Sacha Guitry](/source/Sacha_Guitry), starring [Michel Simon](/source/Michel_Simon) with [Jean Debucourt](/source/Jean_Debucourt) and [Germaine Reuver](/source/Germaine_Reuver).[3][4] ## Synopsis Paul and Blandine Braconnier both have the same wish, to find a way of killing the other without being caught. She hits on rat poison, he, intrigued by a radio interview with a famous lawyer, decides to go to Paris to meet him. There he convinces the lawyer that he has already murdered his wife, and through the questions of the lawyer works out the best way to do it and get acquitted. On his return to the home town, their plans are put in place. ## Cast - [Michel Simon](/source/Michel_Simon): Paul Louis Victor Braconnier, the gardener - [Germaine Reuver](/source/Germaine_Reuver): Blandine Braconnier, Paul's wife - [Jean Debucourt](/source/Jean_Debucourt): Maître Aubanel, the famous lawyer - [Louis de Funès](/source/Louis_de_Fun%C3%A8s): André Chevillard, a citizen of Remonville - [Marcelle Arnold](/source/Marcelle_Arnold): Germaine Chevillard, André's wife - [Georges Bever](/source/Georges_Bever): Mr Gaillard, the chemist of Remonville - Nicolas Amato: Victor Boitevin, an inhabitant - [Jacques Varennes](/source/Jacques_Varennes): the prosecutor - [Jeanne Fusier-Gir](/source/Jeanne_Fusier-Gir): Mrs Tyberghen, the florist - [Pauline Carton](/source/Pauline_Carton): Mrs Michaud, the grocer - [Albert Duvaleix](/source/Albert_Duvaleix): Abbot Méthivier - [Léon Walther](/source/L%C3%A9on_Walther): a senior magistrate - [Henry Laverne](/source/Henry_Laverne): Judiciary President - Harry Max: Henri, an inhabitant ## Production Guitry was determined to have Michel Simon in his film and asked the actor how he could make his participation satisfactory; Simon replied that he wanted only one take for his scenes. Guitry explained this to the technical crew, and this happened due to meticulous preparation by crew and actors.[5] Three cameras were used for the takes, except indoor dialogues where two were employed. All the sets were constructed in colour but filmed in black and white, in order to play the effect of their shades.[5] Notably, in a film in which he did not act, the introductory credits take the form of physical introductions and thanks by Guitry to each of the cast, the composer and key technical staff, even many of the extras. Filming was very short; a contemporary report stated "12 days and 3 hours"[6] while Knapp gives nine days. ## Remake The film was remade by [Jean Becker](/source/Jean_Becker_(director)) as *[A Crime in Paradise](/source/A_Crime_in_Paradise)* in 2001.[7] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Poison is a masculine noun in French; Guitry's use of a feminine article refers to the wife as "an unbearable and unpleasant person". (Larousse de la Langue Française - Lexis, 1979, poison (2) p.1446. "Personne méchante et de caractère insupportable.") 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Note in Booklet accompanying Eureka! The Masters of Cinema series #48 La Poison. Eureka Entertainment Ltd, 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["La POISON (1951)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20181230073746/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7597d898). *BFI*. Archived from [the original](https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7597d898) on December 30, 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Poison (1951) - Sacha Guitry | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie"](https://www.allmovie.com/movie/poison-v153574) – via www.allmovie.com. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-knapp_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-knapp_5-1) Knapp, Bettina. On Rancour Expelled (from Sacha Guitry, 1981). In: Booklet accompanying Eureka! The Masters of Cinema series #48 La Poison. Eureka Entertainment Ltd, 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Koval, Francis. Report from Paris. [Sight and Sound](/source/Sight_and_Sound), January-March 1952, Vol.21 No.3, p105. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Un crime au Paradis (2001) - Jean Becker | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie"](https://www.allmovie.com/movie/v241979) – via www.allmovie.com. ## External links - [*La Poison*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043927/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) - [*La Poison*](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/la_poison) at [Rotten Tomatoes](/source/Rotten_Tomatoes) - [*La Poison*](http://filmsdefrance.com/FDF_La_poison_rev.html) at the *Films de France* - [*La poison—or, How to Kill Your Wife*](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/4850-la-poison-or-how-to-kill-your-wife) an essay by [Ginette Vincendeau](/source/Ginette_Vincendeau) at the [Criterion Collection](/source/Criterion_Collection) v t e Sacha Guitry Plays and films Stage works Le Scandale de Monte-Carlo (1908) Let's Make a Dream (1916) Deburau (1918) L'amour masqué (1923) Mozart (1925) N'écoutez pas, mesdames ! (1942) Films directed Good Luck (1935) Pasteur (1935) Confessions of a Cheat (1936) My Father Was Right (1936) The New Testament (1936) Désiré (1937) The Pearls of the Crown (1937) Quadrille (1938) Nine Bachelors (1939) Le Destin fabuleux de Désirée Clary (1942) My Last Mistress (1943) The Lame Devil (1948) Toâ (1949) Two Doves (1949) The Treasure of Cantenac (1950) Deburau (1951) La Poison (1951) Je l'ai été trois fois (1952) The Virtuous Scoundrel (1953) Royal Affairs in Versailles (1954) Napoléon (1955) If Paris Were Told to Us (1956) Lovers and Thieves (1956) Three Make a Pair (1957) Screenplays Life Together (1958) This article related to a French film of the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:1950s-France-film-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3A1950s-France-film-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:1950s-France-film-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [La Poison](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Poison) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Poison?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.