Lac aux Dames
by Marc Allégret, Colette
Lac aux Dames (Lake of Ladies) is a 1934 French film directed by Marc Allégret and set at a lakeside summer resort. It was adapted from a novel by the Austrian writer Vicki Baum, with dialogue by Colette working from a scenario by Allégret and Jean-Georges Auriol. Simone Simon played Puck in one of her first major roles, alongside Jean-Pierre Aumont and Michel Simon, with music by Georges Auric and sets by Lazare Meerson. The film belongs to the run of early-1930s pictures that established Allégret and helped launch a generation of French screen actors.
- 1934
- About 106 minutes, black and white
About Colette
Colette's part in the film
The film was not adapted from anything Colette wrote. Its source is a novel by the Austrian writer Vicki Baum, and the screenplay is credited to Marc Allégret and Jean-Georges Auriol. Colette's contribution was the dialogue: she was commissioned to write the lines the characters speak, which gave her a real hand in their voices and in the texture of their relationships. The Bibliothèque nationale de France credits her specifically as the film's dialogue writer, and her complete dialogue was later preserved and published.
Cinema was a genuine part of Colette's working life, not a diversion from it. She wrote about film as a critic, adapted works for the screen, and supplied dialogue for several pictures; her work on Lac aux Dames was later gathered in the collection Colette au cinéma, alongside her writing for films such as Jeunes filles en uniforme and Divine.
There was a family connection on set as well. Colette's daughter, Colette de Jouvenel — known since childhood as Bel-Gazou — worked as one of Marc Allégret's assistant directors on the production, alongside Yves Allégret.
The story
Éric Heller, played by Jean-Pierre Aumont, is a young unemployed engineer who takes a job as a swimming instructor at a fashionable lakeside resort. He draws the attention of the women vacationing there, but falls in love with the wealthy Danny Lyssenhop, played by Rosine Deréan. Her father, Oscar, played by Michel Simon, opposes the match.
At the same time Éric forms a complicated bond with Puck, a spirited, unconventional local girl played by Simone Simon, who saves him during a dangerous swim through the fog. Puck loves Éric, but in the end she helps reunite him with Danny rather than keep him for herself.
Simone Simon as Puck
The film is remembered above all for Simone Simon's Puck. Her mix of innocence, independence, and mischief made the character one of the picture's revelations and set the screen personality she would carry through French cinema and, later, Hollywood. A retrospective at Il Cinema Ritrovato has described Puck as wild and modern, with an almost fairy-tale quality.
The role sits at the center of the film's appeal and is the main reason Lac aux Dames is still revived. Around Simon, the cast gathered several strong players of the period, including Michel Simon as the obstructive father and the young Odette Joyeux in support.
The production
Lac aux Dames belongs to the run of early-1930s pictures that established Marc Allégret and helped launch a generation of French screen actors. It brought together some of the most respected craftsmen then working in French cinema: music by Georges Auric, cinematography associated with Jules Kruger, and production design by Lazare Meerson.
The Cinémathèque française catalogs the film as a 1933 production, though it reached French cinemas in the spring of 1934. It runs about 106 minutes and was shot in black and white.
Timeline
1933
The film is produced; the Cinémathèque française catalogs it as a 1933 production.
1934
Lac aux Dames is released in French cinemas on 18 May 1934.
Frequently asked questions
Did Colette write Lac aux Dames?
Not the story. The film was adapted from a novel by the Austrian writer Vicki Baum, with a screenplay by Marc Allégret and Jean-Georges Auriol. Colette was commissioned to write the film's dialogue.
What is Lac aux Dames about?
A young unemployed engineer, Éric, takes work as a swimming instructor at a lakeside resort and is caught between the wealthy Danny and Puck, a fiercely independent local girl who saves his life and then helps reunite him with Danny.
Who plays Puck?
Simone Simon, in one of her first major roles. Her performance was the film's revelation and established the screen personality she carried into French and Hollywood cinema.
Was anyone else in Colette's family involved?
Yes. Her daughter, Colette de Jouvenel — known as Bel-Gazou — worked as one of Marc Allégret's assistant directors on the production, alongside Yves Allégret.
When was Lac aux Dames released?
It was released in France on 18 May 1934, though the Cinémathèque française catalogs it as a 1933 production. The film runs about 106 minutes and is in black and white.