La nuit américaine (1973)

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

Jean-Louis Richard (writer)
Suzanne Schiffman (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

7 September 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Tagline:

A movie for people who loves movies.

Plot:

A committed film director struggles to complete his movie while coping with a myriad of crises, personal and professional, among the cast and crew.

Plot Keywords:

Director | Actor | Pregnancy | Press Conference | Filmmaker

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Jacqueline Bisset	...	Julie
Valentina Cortese	...	Severine
Dani	...	Liliane
Alexandra Stewart	...	Stacey
Jean-Pierre Aumont	...	Alexandre
Jean Champion	...	Bertrand
Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Alphonse (as Jean-Pierre Leaud)
François Truffaut	...	director Ferrand
Nike Arrighi	...	Odile
Nathalie Baye	...	Joelle
Maurice Seveno	...	TV Reporter
David Markham	...	Doctor Nelson
Bernard Menez	...	Bernard the Prop Man
Gaston Joly	...	Lajoie
Zénaïde Rossi	...	Madame Lajoie
Xavier Saint-Macary		(as Xavier Macary)
Walter Bal	...	Walter (Cinematographer)
Jean-François Stévenin	...	Jean-François (assistant director) (as J.F. Stevenin)
Pierre Zucca	...	Photographer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marc Boyle	...	Stuntman
Martine Barraqué	...	Martine (uncredited)
Marcel Berbert	...	French Insurance Broker (uncredited)
Yann Dedet	...	Yann (uncredited)
Georges Delerue	...	Georges the composer (voice) (uncredited)
Graham Greene	...	English Insurance Broker (uncredited)
Marie Poitevin	...	Woman (uncredited)
Christophe Vesque	...	Boy with Cane in Dream Sequence (uncredited)

Directed by
François Truffaut

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jean-Louis Richard		writer
Suzanne Schiffman		writer
François Truffaut		writer

Produced by
Marcel Berbert	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Delerue

Cinematography by
Pierre-William Glenn

Film Editing by
Martine Barraqué
Yann Dedet

Production Design by
Damien Lanfranchi

Art Direction by
Damien Lanfranchi

Costume Design by
Monique Dury

Makeup Department
Fernande Hugi	....	makeup artist
Thi-Loan Nguyen	....	makeup artist
Malou Rossignol	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Claude Miller	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Suzanne Schiffman	....	assistant director
Jean-François Stévenin	....	assistant assistant director

Art Department
Ferracci	....	poster designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Antoine Bonfanti	....	sound mixer
René Levert	....	sound
Harrik Maury	....	sound

Stunts
Marc Boyle	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Walter Bal	....	camera operator
Dominique Chapuis	....	assistant camera
Jean-Francis Gondre	....	assistant camera
Pierre Zucca	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Other crew
Christian Lentretien	....	production administrator
Alex Maineri	....	general manager
Christine Pellé	....	script supervisor
Roland Thénot	....	general manager

Thanks
Dorothy Gish	....	dedicatee
Lillian Gish	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• Les Films du Carrosse
• PECF
• Produzione Intercontinentale Cinematografica (PIC) (co-production)

Distributors

• Warner-Columbia Film (1973) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia-Warner Distributors (1973) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1981) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1982) (Australia) (video)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled) (also English-dubbed)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• La Victorine  studio

Also Known As:

Day for Night (USA)
Effetto notte (Italy)
The American Night (International: English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French | English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

Les Films du Carrosse

Trivia:

François Truffaut's reason for his character Ferrand wearing an earing-aid (while never clearly defined as deaf) is partly expressed in a voice-over mentioning a film director is the person everyone in the crew has a question to ask. In later interviews, Truffaut explained the best way he could find to ignore some of those questions was to pass for someone hard of hearing.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the filming of the car crash scene, when the stunt man backs up the car driving through the the open door, and when he jumps free as the "driverless" car supposedly heads for the cliff where it will crash, someone else is visible inside the car, actually driving.

Quotes:

director Ferrand: Making a film is like a stagecoach ride in the old west. When you start, you are hoping for a pleasant trip. By the halfway point, you just hope to survive.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Grande Chorale

Interesting, entertaining and enjoyable

I still think it's my favourite of Truffaut's, even though my French teacher rolled his eyes, thinking I could have picked a more obscure choice! The reason why I love it so much, is that it has so much to it. Not only is it a clever tale of a film inside a film, but Truffaut also gives you a view into his own world, as well as those of his actors and crew. Truffaut provides some advice on being a film maker in a friendly manner, and you get the impression that this person is really interested in engaging with the audience in a down to earth manner. There is development and a little explanation of the characters which have appeared in his earlier films, particularly Antoine, of course, which I liked, although it's not completely on a plate of course. All in all, def worth a watch.