Salut À La France
Scen.: Burgess Meredith, Jean Renoir, Garson Kanin; M.: Marcel Cohen [Marcel Cravenne]; Scgf.: Bernard Lamotte; Mu.: Kurt Weill; Su.: Alan Antik; Int.: Burgess Meredith (Joe, Il Soldato Americano), Philip Bourneuf (Tommy, Il Soldato Inglese), Claude Dauphin (Jacques, Il Soldato Francese); Prod.: Burgess Meredith Con La Supervisione Di Philip Dunne E Robert Riskin, U.S. Office Of War Information Per United Films, U.S. Office Of War Information, Overseas Branch, Con La Collaborazione Di The Army Pictorial Service E The Office Of Strategic Services; 35mm. D.: 22’. Bn.
Film Notes
A Salute to France is treated as a footnote in Jean Renoir’s filmography because Renoir was not fully responsible for this documentary, produced for the Office of War Information in 1944, and the film was greatly shortened after Renoir left the project. Only specialists know that Renoir directed a French-language version at the same time, Salut à la France, which seemed to disappear soon after the war was over. But the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences held a nitrate print, and preserved the first three of its four reels (the last reel was lost to nitrate deterioration). This version is different in a number of ways from the English-language version, especially the first reel, which begins with a statement by one of the film’s main actors, Claude Dauphin in military uniform, who explains to French audiences why the film was made. Salut à la France was intended to be screened in France as territories were liberated in 1944.
Janet Bergstrom, in “Cinegrafie”, 17, 2004