Le Baron fantôme (1943)

France, 1943
99m
35mm film, black and white, 1.37:1
mono, French

A French borderline horror film directed by Serge de Poligny.

Plot Summary

Elfy, Countess of Saint-Hélié's daughter, was brought up with her foster sister Anne, in an old dilapidated castle whose landlord, Baron Julius Carol disappears leaving behind Elfy and her foster sister Anne who were his tenants in his run-down old castle. As adults, both women fall in love with Hervé, the son of the gamekeeper. Things are complicated when the baron's mummified body is discovered in an oubliette and the estate's secret is finally revealed…

Credits

Crew
Directed by: Serge de Poligny
© [not given on screen]
Le Consortium de Productions de Films (J. Séfert, A. Frapin) present
Produced by: Robert Florat
Scenario by: Serge de Poligny
Dialogue by: Jean Cocteau
Director of Photography: Roger Hubert
Editor: Jean Feyte
Music by: Louis Beydts
Sound Engineer: René Forget
Costume Designer: Christian Dior
Art Director: Jacques Krauss

Cast
André Lefaur (Eustache Dauphin)
Odette Joyeux (Elfy)
Jany Holt (Anne)
Alain Cuny (Hervé)
Gabrielle Dorziat (Countess de Saint-Helie)
Alerme [real name: André Alerme] (the colonel)
Aimé Clariond (the bishop)
Claude Sainval (Albéric de Marignac)
Marie Magali
Charles Vissières (Toussaint)
Diéner [real name: Jean Diéner] (Joseph)
Pérès [real name: Marcel Pérès] (Léopold)
Marguerite Pierry (Fébronie)
Jean Cocteau [Baron Julius Carol] *
Marguerite de Morlaye [old woman] *
Jacques Ory [Hervé as a child] *
Mercédès Brare

Alternative Titles

Ma soeur Anne – working title
The Phantom Baron – UK

References

Periodicals

• Monthly Film Bulletin vol.44 no.518 (March 1977) pp.55, 59 – extract from an article by S. de Poligny first published in Avant-Scène du cinéma no.138/139 (July/September 1973) pp.61-90
• Films and Filming vol.23 no.7 (April 1977) pp.42-43 – review
• Avant-Scène du cinéma no.138/139 (July/September 1973) pp.61-90 – script, article

Books

• Euro Gothic: Classics of Continental Horror Cinema by Jonathan Rigby pp.53
• French Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Pulp Fiction by Jean-Marc Lofficier and Randy Lofficier p.21
• Horror and Science Fiction Films II by Donald C. Willis p.301
• Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.25 – credits

Other sources

• BFI Southbank Guide October/November 2018 p.41 – illustrated listing