Fanny

Almost 19-year-old Marius feels himself in a rut in Marseille, his life planned for him by his cafe’-owning father..

• Director: Joshua Logan
• Genre:Drama / Romance
• Runtime:134 minutes

Cast

Leslie Caron : Fanny Maurice Chevalier: Panisse Charles Boyer : Cesar Horst Buchholz : Marius Georgette Anys : Honorine (Fanny’s Mother)

César is a barkeeper in Marseilles in the early 1920s. His 19-year-old son Marius works for him, but wants nothing more than to go to sea and leave his boring existence behind. The only thing holding him back is Fanny, an 18-year-old girl with whom he grew up. Fanny is in love with Marius and flirts with him, but Marius always rejects her.

Fanny invites Marius to a Sunday night dance, but he tells her he is planning to leave the next day, having secretly signed on as a sailor on a lengthy scientific expedition traveling around the world after being encouraged to do so by his friend known as the Admiral. Fanny is offended and leaves.

Meanwhile, elderly but wealthy merchant Panisse asks to meet with Fanny’s mother Honorine, who believes he wants to propose to her. To her surprise, he wants to marry Fanny, even though he knows she loves someone else. Although disappointed, Honorine does not object, seeing as Panisse is worth 600,000 francs.

Fanny tells Marius she has rejected Panisse’s proposal because she loves him and is willing to wait until he returns. Marius tells her he will be away for five years and to forget about him. They declare their love for each other and go to Fanny’s house, which is empty while her mother is away.

The following morning, Honorine discovers Fanny and Marius in bed together. She and César begin to plan their children’s wedding, but Fanny urges Marius to leave, fearful he eventually would grow to hate her for depriving him of his great opportunity.

Fanny discovers she is pregnant with Marius’s child and tells Panisse the news. He is happy to marry her anyway, overjoyed with the possibility of a male heir to carry on his name. They marry and Fanny gives birth to a boy, whom they name Césario Marius Panisse.

On Césario’s first birthday, Panisse goes away on business, and while he is gone, Marius returns on a short leave. He visits Fanny and becomes angry when he learns her child is his. César advises his son the father is “the one who loves.” Panisse returns and announces Marius can have Fanny but not the child, but Fanny won’t leave without the boy. Marius departs with neither. Read more