Danielle Darrieux is rehearsing for what looks like a production of Shaw's PYGMALION. She's exhausted by the devilish intentions of the play's angel, so she ducks out in costume, where she is rescued by Albert Préjean, who offers to transform what he thinks is a poor flower girl into a princess for the night. Then the show's director sees an opportunity to gain a new backer. Then....

The situations keep transforming themselves under an increasing burden of deceptions, demonstrating that sometimes it is the Prince seeking the poor girl who sits in the cinders in this frothy little tale of table-turning with serious consequences,

Will it all turn out right in the end? Well, this is a film from Continental Pictures, a company set up with the remit to produce light entertainment in the dark days of the Occupation. Sometimes they had a darker understory, and sometimes they gave money to H. G. Clouzot and he blew the entire operation up; but by and large, the people in charge hoped to keep the technicians and performers of the French film industry working and earning a living, and turning out pleasant entertainment. Even though this sometimes doesn't make sense, it does entertain.

With a best of 1942 films taking place on ICM,I started looking for films from the year waiting to be viewed. Finding her terrific in Beating Heart (1940-also reviewed),I was pleased to stumble on another Darrieux title, (with so few votes!) which led to me meeting Caprice.

View on the film:

Placing the glass slipper on Lise with chic swipe edits,co-writer/(with Andre Cayatte/ Jacques "dad of Nina" Companeez and fellow film maker Raymond Bernard)director Leo Joannon & cinematographer Jules Kruger bake a fluffy, fairy tale atmosphere in elegant panning shots round Lise being the star of every ball, glittering in high above wide-shots under a chandelier, to winding shots down streets over her sparkling clothes displaying Lise becoming a dream princess. Sitting down to Lise acting in a imploding stage show before her wishes are granted, Joannon contrasts the high-life with jump-cuts on Lise and her entourage being confronted by cops, looped with cramped whip-pans during Lise's attempts to perform on stage.

Mentioning Cinderella a number times in the film, the writers pour the basic outline of the fairy tale out and whisk up a a tantalising, dreamy tale, via Lise's down on her luck roots of having to struggle as a actress and a poor flower seller being kept in tact even as she gets to the ball on time. Unhappy with Lise stepping on his toes, Jean Paredes slices the film with a comedic relish as Constant, whose eye rolls and off the cuff comments high light the luxuries Lise is becoming surrounded by. Looking immaculate from her stage intro, alluring Danielle Darrieux gives a fantastic turn as Lise,thanks to Darrieux being able to twist Lise's humble beginnings into a street smart,playful confidence among the caprices.