L’ECOLE DES FACTEURS

Jacques Tati

Tit. int.: The School for Postmen. Scen.: Jacques Tati. F.: Louis Felix. M.: Marcel Moreau. Mus.: Jean Yatove. Int.: Jacques Tati (il postino), Paul Demange (il postino capo). Prod.: André Paulvé, Fred Orain per Cady Film DCP. D.: 15’. Bn. 

info_outline
T. it.: Italian title. T. int.: International title. T. alt.: Alternative title. Sog.: Story. Scen.: Screenplay. F.: Cinematography. M.: Editing. Scgf.: Set Design. Mus.: Music. Int.: Cast. Prod.: Production Company. L.: Length. D.: Running Time. f/s: Frames per second. Bn.: Black e White. Col.: Color. Da: Print source

Film Notes

 

In 1946, Jacques Tati, along with the scriptwiter Henri Marquet, completed the short film, L’Ecole des facteurs. René Clément was preparing his first great film, e Battle of the Rails, and he handed over the direction to him. The production was entrusted to Fred Orain. Tati was therefore the actor, scriptwriter and director. L’Ecole des facteurs takes from Soigne ton gauche the characters of the postman on his bicycle and the angelic young man, reuniting them in a single character. Tati plays François. He grew a thick, slightly sloping, moustache. His jacket is a bit short and his legs are a bit long, forcing him to wiggle his hips in a comic fashion with every push of the pedals so as not to hit his knees on the handlebar. […] e theme of pursuit racing, the physical violence of the numerous comic effects, the shrewdness and the optimism of our hero in the face of adversity, it is all reminiscent of American burlesque. Thirty years earlier, L’Ecole des facteurs would have been counted as one of the best of Mack Sennett’s products. With the benefit of hindsight, Tati would recognize that these eighteen minutes signalled the true beginning to his cinematographic career.

Marc Dondey, Tati, Ramsay, Paris 2002

The original nitrate negative kept in the Archives françaises du film was a composite and it included many shots derived from duplicates. The restoration was carried out in partnership with the Musée de la Poste