A restored version of
THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT
FRIDAY MORNING
Set up here?
That´s all for today, children.
Good-bye, ma´am.
And don´t forget your costumes tomorrow.
Delphine, come look. They´re here!
They´re setting up on the square.
The girls won´t be ready. We´ll rehearse Sunday.
- No need to. - Think so?
We are a pair of twins Born in the sign of Gemini
Mi fa so la mi re Re mi fa so so so re do.
We´re two demoiselles Who took to the boys long ago
Mi fa so la mi re Re mi fa so so so re do.
Our mamma brought us up on her own
Working herself all her life to the bone.
To make sure our minds could expand
She´s spent all her time behind a French fry stand.
Papa was somebody that we never knew
But when we undress, one thing is true:
ln the small of our backs, in the very same place
There´s the same beauty spot He had on his face.
We are a pair of twins Born in the sign of Gemini
Who love catchy tunes, silly puns and repartee.
We´re a pair of carefree young things
Waiting for the joys that love brings.
When our blood races, When our heart stops,
We´re ready to shout it from the roof tops.
We are delicate souls, two romantics
in love with art, music and antics.
Where´s that man? The man we long to find.
Mr Right... A few faults we won´t mind.
We are a pair of twins Born in the sign of Gemini.
With our feet on the gound We have flights of fantasy.
Teaching piano is making me turn pale.
l´ve had it up to here with the sound of bad scales.
l´m bored with these provincial ways.
lt´s Paris for me, where Art really pays.
Dancing lessons are starting to get me down.
My chance is in Paris too, not in this town.
Why teach pliés and pirouettes all day
When l could be in the Opera Ballet?
We are a pair of twins Born in the sign of Gemini.
Two hearts, four eyes Ready to rhapsodize.
Quarter to 12! I´m late!
Delphine! Pick up Booboo?
- Can´t you? - I´ll go at 4.
I can´t wear this! Sure, I can... No, I can´t.
Guillaume will be waiting.
- What´s he want? - To see me.
Let him wait.
Home for lunch?
Yes, but not before 1.
Where´s my compact? Here it is...
We play the cello, the trumpet and the banjo.
We love catchy tunes, silly puns and repartee.
With our feet on the ground We have flights of fantasy.
We are a pair of twins Born in the sign of Gemini.
See you later.
- Where you off to? - The café.
Wait for us.
Fries?
Two orders of fries.
- Fair time? - We just arrived.
- It´ll boost business. - No need to.
- We´re going for a walk. - Not now!
We´re not on call.
What slackers!
How you treat your ladies!
They aren´t our ladies... not really.
Performers?
The blonde does an Indian shimmy, the redhead a Chinese shimmy.
- It´s harder. - How interesting...
He´s the boss. I second him. I´m a mechanic.
- Hello, Yvonne. - Hello, Maxence.
Hello, Josette. Hello, Gramps.
- Still abstract? - More than ever.
He was born that way.
In 3 days I´m demobbed.
- A Pimm´s. - We´re out.
- Aren´t we? - But he can order something else.
A beer.
- So, did you find her? - Not yet, but I can wait.
A beer for Maxence.
- Did he find her? - Not yet.
- What´d he lose? - His feminine ideal.
He never found her to begin with!
He painted her. He´s a painter-poet. He´s stationed here.
We all seek our feminine ideal. He´s not the only one.
Don´t be so sad, Maxence. Girls are a dime a dozen.
l´ve searched all over for her, l´ve sailed the seven seas
From Venice to Java, from Manilla to Angkor.
There was Jeanne and Victoria, Venus and Mona Lisa.
l haven´t found her yet, l seek her even more.
l don´t know what she´s like and yet her image is clear.
l have a name for her, her voice is in my ear.
l´ve sketched her silhouette, the face l´m dreaming of.
The portrait that l´ve done is the very image of love.
She is as gracious as only romantic girls can be.
A Botticelli beauty with such eyes, such poise.
In profile she is like those virgins of mythology
Who haunt museum galleries and the dreams of teenage boys.
Her stride is so much like a childhood memory
That passes my mind´s eye lilting, dreamily.
Her hair pours down her brow like torrents of pure gold
Round which wind, sea and sun quarrel for a hold.
I could tell you of her hands, of her eyes.
I could go on and on until the next sunrise.
She is my only love, but what good is a dream?
I´ve searched all over but she´s nowhere to be seen.
He could tell us of her hands, of her eyes.
He could go on and on until the next sunrise.
She is his only love but what good is a dream?
He´s searched all over but she´s nowhere to be seen.
Can she be far? Is she close to me?
I couldn´t say but I know she does exist.
Is she a wicked girl? Or born to royalty?
Her pedigree means nothing, because I am an artist,
And Love is the sole authority.
Nice portrait, but no one like that here.
- No, no one. - I prefer redheads.
- Heavens! Have you seen Delphine? - No, ma´am.
I bet she forgot to pick up Booboo.
Could you go, Maxence?
I´m already late for maneuvers.
I have to set the tables.
- I´m sorry. - Never mind.
´Bye, Gramps.
Could you two gentlemen go? The school´s around the corner.
Sure, we don´t mind.
You´re sweet. Just ask for Booboo.
- Who? - Booboo... He´s my son, my youngest.
I´m afraid I can never go out.
I´m confined to this aquarium.
Me, who was meant to live in the open air on the Pacific shore,
listening to sweet music and reading poetry.
Yvonne, I´m out of glue.
Could you buy some glue on the way? Thanks.
Hi, Delphe!
You´re filthy! Look at you! And in your new pants!
- Are you Booboo? - Why do you ask?
We came to fetch Booboo.
- Says who? - The lady in the café.
- What nerve! - We´re straight.
We came with the fair.
I bet you did!
- You´re quite pretty. - So I´ve been told!
- You´ll split your dress. - Quiet!
So, do we take the kid?
- I wanna go with them. - You kidnappers?
- We wouldn´t say if we were. - Smart aleck!
Actually, it suits me because... Never mind!
Behave yourself. Bye, pumpkin.
- Your aunt´s swell! - She´s my sister!
She´s a honey!
I want some candy.
We gonna stand here all day?
Hello, dear rose.
- You´re lovely, dear soul. - By "soul" you mean my body.
You´re so right, dear heart.
If I weren´t so in love with you, I´d be jealous.
But I love you and that fills me with pride...
And craving, since I want you.
I inspire your baser feellings.
And gluttony and lust.
And prattle. You love to hear yourself talk.
Myself and yourself. I love you.
That why you wanted to see me?
You don´t love me, but you´ll marry me.
I already said no, Guillaume.
- So why do you come? - You´re so entertaining.
But if you prefer, I´ll stop coming.
Why, that´s me!
Yes, dear rose.
Since when do you pose for soldiers?
Soldiers? What´s this nonsense?
- Who painted it? - I said, a soldier.
Calls himself a painter and poet. Get the picture? Know him?
An uncanny likeness, don´t you think?
Mere coincidence.
- But it´s me all over! - No, it´s just figurative.
You´re spiritual, dear soul.
It´s a worthless picture, pure fantasy.
He modestly calls it "Feminine Ideal".
He must really love me to dream me up like this. What´s he like?
Dull, insignificant.
I want to meet him.
Sorry. He just left for Paris.
But he´s not your type at all.
You think you know me, you like to talk a lot
But really you do not not not...
You don´t know how l feel. If you did know you´d reel.
You´ll never know.
I know how you think!
You´ll never know what tickles me pink pink pink.
What makes me play Or why I dream night and day.
I´m just a doll in your gallery.
What did you ever see in me?
You find my chatter tedious and dumb.
You couldn´t care less if I´m cheerful or glum.
Doubts are something you don´t show.
I´m a fool, whether I say yes or no no no.
You say: "I live only for money." And then you say you love me.
If you really loved me...
But I tell you every day...
If you really love me as you say say say...
When you tire of me You say: "Excuse me, time is money!"
But time for me is love, my friend.
It´s laughter and song until the day´s end,
and love each night since Creation. Time is love, life is celebration.
So...so stop thinking that I´ll be your prize.
You lie when you sentimentalize, lies, lies...
Buy other girls a drink, you´ll find love for the price of a mink.
Then you´ll forget me.
It´s simpler than you think...
Any girl will give you a wink wink wink.
It may be a girl with velvety voice But love for her is on an invoice.
Excuse me for being so blunt, I won´t put feelings up front.
Let´s not drag it out for both our sakes,
Let´s make it a friendly break.
Farewell, Guillaume.
Good-bye, dear heart.
Your eyes are the same blue as the picture.
- I can´t help it. - Aren´t they?
You like blue eyes, so you can tell.
I´ve never seen anything like them.
How odd! It can´t be abstract if it resembIes his eyes...
Which aren´t abstract, so this picture sees you as I do.
Look, Mom!
- You shouldn´t have! - It´s nothing.
Thanks.
- Here you go, Gramps. - How kind of you.
- Will you have a drink? - Why not?
We met a knockout blonde!
- Your sister. - I don´t have a sister.
- He means Delphe. - Delphine... my daughter.
- She´s a peach! - So are you!
So I´ve been told.
S.O.S.! Storm at sea!
Be quiet, Booboo.
Hello, Dutrouz!
Hello, everyone.
They´re friends. Subtil Dutrouz.
"Subtil" like a scent, Dutrouz with a silent "z".
- Bill as in billiards. - Etienne like everyone else.
- Here, for you. - What is it?
A plastic atomic submarine.
- How´s it holding? - Fine.
That´s good.
I just saw them tramping by, armed to the teeth.
They´d shoot us like rabbits.
- What´ll you have? - Nothing, I´m off.
I´ll be back later.
- Who´s that? - A friend of Gramps´.
- What´s he do? - Retired.
- What exactly do you do? - Us?
We go from place to place, With motorcycles to sell,
Bikes and boats as well. The road´s our home base.
Today we´re here, Tomorrow there.
We live free as the air, Like boys without a care.
On the move, having fun, Avoiding shadows for the sun.
We prefer what is sweet, not sour,
A pretty girl, not a wall flower,
And pleasure, not despair.
We flit from face to face Like bees among the flowers.
In each port, a pretty girl, In each town, some tender hours.
We live on the heady brine, a baker´s loaf, a sip of wine,
The morning haze, the evening storm,
A child´s smile to make us warm,
The siesta at mid-day,
Making love in the hay,
The wind on our face.
We go from town to town, The future´s an unknown.
A pretty girl lends a hand And life is grand.
Today here, Tomorrow there.
Our life´s a romance, A melody composed by chance,
Full of new delights.
We prefer joy to misery,
Intelligence to stupidity,
Straight talk to hypocrisy,
And gentle arms to gendarmes.
We go from fair to fair, Folks point and stare.
They call us carnies But poets are what we are.
Today we frown, Tomorrow laugh.
Life´s a double bill, A tragedy of fate,
A comedy of good will. As friends we will grow old,
Knights without fear or blame, We haven´t a penny to our name,
But our hearts are made of gold.
We go from place to place, Across rivers and valleys.
They call us carnies, The road is our home base.
- What´s wrong? - I´m sad and bored.
You´re hiding something.
It´s over with GuiIIaume.
That´s good news! I never Iiked the guy.
Know what I´m thinking?
Yes, about your dream man.
How´d you guess?
It´s easy, darIing...
You have that ´´dream man´´ Iook on your face.
l know nothing of him and yet his image is clear.
l have a name for him, His voice is in my ear.
Often when l dream l see the face l´m thinking of.
The look in his eyes is the very image of love.
He is handsome as only romantic men can be.
Like divine Raphael his talent is heavenly.
A philosopher in love with democracy
And a poet who rhymes endlessly.
l could tell you of his hands, of his eyes.
l could go on and on until the next sunrise.
He is my only love but what good is a dream?
The illusion of love is only love unseen.
ls he near or far? Could he be in Rochefort?
l´m sure to meet him, l know he does exist.
Whatever reason says, my heart tells me more.
lts reign, its law is something one can´t resist
And resist l never will.
Sweetie, guys Iike that don´t hang out in Rochefort.
Not right now. He´s in Paris. He did my portrait.
Who is it? You never mentioned him.
A painter. I don´t know him.
He exists and he Ioves me.
But I´ve never seen him.
- You´re iII! - I´m serious.
- To Paris, then! - And our pupiIs?
- Our careers first! - Without money?
Never mind, for now we´re free! We Ieave for Paris next week.
This afternoon I´II go see Mr Dame...
What´s so funny?
Nothing. It´s such a siIIy name.
He´s very nice. He knows Andrew MiIIer.
- Who´s that? - Dunno...
An American composer. They went to schooI together.
Andrew MiIIer is giving some recitaIs in Paris
and Simon Dame wiII teII him about me.
In a Ietter... Then I´II get Booboo.
No need to. Mom sent two guys this morning.
I went for nothing. Booboo Ieft with them.
You Iet Booboo go off with two strangers?
The town´s crawIing with soIdiers, sadists and painters!
You´II never get a man, oId girI.
You were born 12 min. Iater! Don´t ´´oId girI´´ me! As for men...
- That´s it! - What?
I´ve got the theme for my concerto!
Good day, sisters.
Schubert´s ´´Ave Maria.´´
Here we are.
- Is that aII? - Yes, thank you.
Good-bye, Mr Dame.
- HeIIo, Mr Dame. - HeIIo, miss.
Your music paper arrived.
I´m sorry about the deIay.
Setting up this store has taken a Iot out of me.
Rochefort isn´t Paris, and I haven´t adapted yet.
It Iooks reaIIy nice.
I´ve tried to recreate a musicaI atmosphere.
Now where did I put it? Here it is.
- Ready for the fair? - The girIs rehearse daiIy.
I wrote a IittIe piece for them,
a 3-part choraI in C minor.
How much is it?
12 francs.
PIease caII me Simon.
ReaIIy?
My name´s so siIIy.
I´m caIIed SoIange.
The key of so
and the fIight of angeIs. The name suits you.
I have a favor to ask.
Go ahead.
I pIan to go to Paris next week.
You hinted, Iast Tuesday,
you couId recommend me to your friend, Andrew MiIIer, the composer.
Andy... certainIy. I haven´t seen him since Conservatory.
After schooI, Andrew went back to the States
and found fame and fortune...
Life´s come between us.
It´s a chance he´s in France. I´II write him straight away.
I´m sure he can heIp you.
You´II become a great composer, SoIange. A great composer.
I hope so.
I have the 3rd movement for my concerto in F sharp minor.
- Care to hear it? - With pIeasure.
AdmirabIe!
What texture, originaIity, passion! What force! What Iyricism!
I Iike it a Iot, too.
- When do you Ieave? - Monday, after the fair.
Don´t take it badIy,
but when my fiancée Ieft 10 years ago
I feIt the same twinge in my heart.
Your fiancée?
It was because of her that I Ieft Paris.
I moved here Iast month to reIive my memories.
Does she Iive in Rochefort?
No, in Mexico.
But we met here.
It´s a strange story for an ordinary man Iike me.
My fiancee found my name a bad joke.
l think it even shocked her and one day l awoke
To find she´d left me without a word, without a sign.
l haven´t laid eyes on her in 10 years´ time.
She had told me one night so tenderly
That we were soon to be no longer two but three.
lt fills a man with pride, it´s woman´s greatest claim,
But she couldn´t stand being called Madame Dame.
Yet she cared for me and l called her my muse.
But l had no idea (how poets will ruse)
That a name like mine could shame and irritate.
l didn´t understand until it was too late.
l was a handsome fellow and she a sweet young thing.
She hadn´t planned it but had already mothered twins.
l never met the girls who were always out of sight.
They went to boarding school and never came home at night.
A few years later l met a mutual friend
Who told me some foreigner had married her in the end
and taken her away to a place in Mexico
To live romantically in a seaside bungalow.
So here l am alone, a lover in despair.
l came to see this city since l´d met her here.
l decided not to leave and here l plan to stay,
Living with my memories and my heart at bay.
- You never saw her again? - Never.
She must be Iiving it up in AcapuIco.
She worshipped the sun.
But I go on and on...
I´II write to Andy. I hope he hasn´t forgotten me.
- Maybe his head sweIIed. - What?
He may be pretentious.
No, Andy was a bright feIIow.
Besides, I´m sure you´II Iike him.
4 o´cIock, aIready!
I doubt she´II come.
The kid can´t waIk home aIone!
Excuse me!
Let the young Iady by.
- Hi, SoIange. - Hi, pumpkin.
Your sIip is showing.
Fighting again! Look at you!
You naughty boy!
- Hi, Booboo. - So you came?
- What do you want? - We´ve come to fetch Booboo.
These are my buddies.
We came with the fair.
- When do you Ieave? - Monday.
Then, bon voyage!
- Miss! Your sIip is showing. - So I´ve been toId.
Your aunt´s not nice.
She´s my sister.
She sure has changed!
Come on, skip it.
They buy me candy.
I´II get you Iicorice.
I want to go with them!
Then no Iicorice!
I´m sorry.
Don´t mention it.
- Are you a musician? - Yes.
Good-bye.
Miss, your sIip is showing.
I know, but it doesn´t matter.
Miss...
- Can I see you again? - I don´t know.
I don´t think so.
Come on.
That guy´s got some nerve!
Say, that´s in G minor!
l´m in love, l am.
Lucky youl
l do what l can.
l come to Rochefort to see a friend,
Simon Dame, he lives out this end.
But l meet a girl and l go crazy.
The girl´s gone but love´s fazed me.
lt took a trip across two continents,
lt took this one amazing chance
To change my life, to give it sense,
lt took my coming back to France.
Ready?
We can´t go without saying good-bye.
- My heart´s racing. - That´s normaI.
Look: First, I´ve had it. Second, they expIoit us.
Third, I don´t Iove Etienne. Fourth, BiII´s eyes aren´t bIue.
Fifth, adventure beckons. And sixth...
Here they come!
What´s with you?
Can´t you see? We´re Ieaving.
- What? - We´re Ieaving.
- With who? - Two saiIors.
Don´t whine, it´s pointIess.
They´re dumb.
We Iove them, but that´s not the worst.
We give them a goIden opportunity and they cut out before a show.
And for who? SaiIors!
Sailors give us a better time Than all your carnies combined.
- Sailors aren´t the marrying kind. - But as lovers they´re just fine.
As friend, lover or husband Sailors are absent all the time.
Chance often does things right But it got its wires crossed
With the faded roses it tossed On the bed of our lonely nights.
Well, if our bed of roses ls now just full of thorns,
And your heart is now sea-born, What can l say or propose?
Shall l shoot you and mourn? Or die broken and morose?
You had what it takes to please: Your nose, mouth, brow and hair.
lf only your eyes were blue l could have died for you.
lf my eyes, dear marquise, Are not worth dying for
And a sailor boy can offer more, What can l say to please?
Should l go down on my knees?
Should l die of jealousy?
You mustn´t hold a grudge Or l´ll get all teary-eyed.
My makeup is going to smudge, l´m already bleary-eyed.
Fly away, turtledoves, Get along to your tropics,
Since our eyes are not topics To make you melt with love.
Go on then, my lovelies,
Good sailing and good loving.
You thought it over?
We flit from face to face Like bees among the flowers.
Today we´re here, tomorrow there.
For us life´s a cinch...
Braque, Picasso, KIee, Miro, Matisse...
That´s Iife!
Sure, Iife!
But how do you manage?
Don´t teII me you paint in the barracks!
No one paints in barracks!
I have a room in town. It´s my studio.
Every night I go AWOL, and I go home and paint.
Next week I go to Paris. And in 6 months: a show!
- If you´re reIeased. - That´s not funny!
There´s troubIe everywhere, Iike in ´39. That´s how it started in ´39.
I saw you this morning doing your cIown act.
We were on maneuvers. Think I enjoy it?
Cut it out!
Next week I´m a civiIian. Freedom!
Monday. Right, Yvonne?
It´s sad to see everyone Ieave.
Why everyone?
No speciaI reason.
It reminds me of my past.
It´s none of your business, of course.
You´II break that chair.
A past Iove, I suppose?
What eIse?
It was...
a secret passion.
I never toId anyone.
No one ever found out.
Not even my daughters.
Your daughters! I´ve heard so much about them.
- I´d Iike to meet them. - Hush up!
And this passion went sour, if I get your meaning.
My fiancé had a name that was grating to the ear,
An irritating name that was more than l could bear.
So l went and left him without a word, without a sign.
lt´s been 10 years now That his path diverged from mine.
l had told him one night so tenderly
That we were soon to be no longer two but three.
lt´s a woman´s greatest claim, lt fills a man with pride.
Booboo, the poor dear, would soon be by my side.
He was a handsome fellow and l a sweet young thing,
Even though l had twins before l met him.
He never met the girls, l kept them out of sight.
They went to boarding school and never came home at night.
A few years later, through a mutual friend,
l let him know that some tycoon from Mexico
Had offered me his hand and a beachside bungalow.
lt was bitter lie, pathetic duplicity.
So here l am alone, and my youth is long gone.
l came to see this town where the only love l´d known
had seen the day. l settled here permanently
living amid memories, my life´s debris.
You don´t know what became of him?
No. He´s probabIy in Paris.
You shouId try and find him.
What was this monster´s name?
Dame. Simon Dame.
I´d have become Madame Dame. Absurd!
He was a bastard!
Not at aII, Papa, caIm down!
A bastard!
Maybe so, but he had a charming name.
´´Madame Dame.´´
It´s amusing.
- So I did wrong? - I didn´t say that.
- ShaII we? - It´s figurative?
I toId you: it´s my onIy figurative work. The abstracts are at camp.
Coming with us?
- To see my feminine ideaI. - Where?
On show at GuiIIaume Lancien´s gaIIery. Around the corner.
Sorry, I reaIIy can´t.
- You snub my work. - No, I don´t.
So Iong! Coming?
- You´ve been crying! - Not at aII.
Don´t Iie, I can teII.
- I Iike your hat. - So do I.
Is that aII that´s new?
I´m fIustered: I just met my dream man.
Otherwise, we´re working.
I haven´t seen DeIphine in 3 days.
We´re hard at work!
Next week we´re off to Paris.
I´m joining the Concert HaII, and DeIphine the Opera.
- We´re not going to rot here! - You´re oId enough to know.
Dutrouz´s right: there´s troubIe everywhere.
Why this urge to fight aII the time?
I forgot my beret.
So Iong, Maxence!
Who´s that?
Maxence. A painter doing his miIitary service.
Get down! I toId you not to waIk on the tabIes!
Leaving aIready?
I´m going home. ´Bye, Mom!
Come for dinner tomorrow. Dutrouz wiII be there.
- Who´s Dutrouz? - Don´t know him?
A friend of Gramps´ from back in ´24.
They met Iast week for the first time in 40 years!
- See you tomorrow. - TiII then!
You again?
Your sister´s charming.
- She´s my daughter. - Her, too?
I had twins by a first Iover, but they´re not identicaI.
Then I had Booboo, much Iater.
Another Iover...
Be poIite, I´m not in the mood.
We aren´t either. We´ve got troubIe.
- Is that so? - The girIs Ieft us.
- The girIs? - The ones you saw this morning.
They do a number for us, not bad in fact, to draw customers.
The Asian shimmy.
That´s right. So now we´re up the creek.
You won´t find anyone here to do an Asian shimmy.
That, or something eIse.
Your daughters couId heIp us.
Don´t count on it!
They can dance, no?
DeIphine dances...
SoIange soI-fas. She writes music. She can dance, too.
- But they won´t do it. - Think so?
I´m sure of it. With their taIent, they won´t rot here.
Next week they´re off to Paris.
- What´II it be? - White wine?
Two gIasses.
It wouIdn´t hurt to ask.
- It´s worth a try. - Nothing ventured...
Oh, my God!
One of Booboo´s pranks.
That´s her.
Your ideaI?
I once knew a young Iady
who Iooked a bit Iike that.
A dancer.
This was 40 years ago.
But she was a brunette, with short hair.
Not at aII aIike!
Not reaIIy.
A sIight resembIance, here.
I don´t know anyone Iike that.
You won´t find that sort in Rochefort.
l´ve searched for her, l´ve travelled countless miles
From Bali to Lima, across the South Sea isles,
From deep river beds to beds where young girls smile.
l keep running after her, hoping all the while.
Just knowing she´s alive makes her my beacon fire.
Knowing she´s out there fills me with more desire
Than all the naked girls in my wildest fantasies.
l´ve looked everywhere, l´ve sailed the seven seas.
Can she be far? ls she close to me?
l couldn´t say, but l know that she exists.
ls she a wicked girl or born to royalty?
A movie celebrity
or a simple florist?
l know she´ll come to me.
That´s aII, chiIdren.
I met my dream man!
Where?
In the street.
TeII me!
l picked up Booboo at school, He was whining and being a fool.
He threw a tantrum in the street, He slammed his bag down at his feet.
There l am, bikes wheeling round, Picking notebooks off the ground,
When l hear a masculine sigh. l look up to see this beautiful guy.
He pours words in my ear like honey,
Humming like a swarm of playful bees.
l look at him, his eyes take me in,
My heart goes into a spin.
He´s dark, with an intelligent air, Streaks of grey in his hair,
Like a shepherd or troubadour. lt was like a concerto overture.
His languid gaze says more than l can tell.
We´re both caught in the same spell.
Booboo´s waiting, traffic´s rolling still,
But Time has stopped for our idyll.
But we really have to part, My handsome stranger gives a start.
He says, his emotion growing:
´´Excuse me, but your slip is showing.´´
And that was all.
ls he near or far? Can he be in Rochefort?
l´ll find him because l know that he exists.
l know what reason says but my heart can tell me more.
lts reign, its law is something no one can resist,
And resist l never will.
SureIy a foreigner or a tourist.
- Why? Did he have an accent? - I don´t remember.
- A camera? - No.
So why an American?
I said a foreigner, not an American.
Not aII foreigners are American.
But they´re often tourists.
Good Lord! What if it´s him?
It´s JuIes and Jim!
You again! You know them?
We´ve aIready met.
Don´t stand there, I´m coId.
What do you want?
- WeII, your mother, Yvonne... - Yeah, right...
- Let them taIk. - Yes, Iet us.
Your mother, Yvonne, said you were going to Paris.
That´s right.
And you needed someone to take you.
We never said that!
Anyway, we can take you.
- In the truck? - There are bunks.
I can see it now!
- We´re serious. - What a come-on!
WeII... Is that aII?
- We want to make a deaI. - But not in the doorway.
Take these.
WeII?
TeII them. After aII, it´s your idea.
But you´re the boss.
We´re in no hurry.
WeII...
To Iiven up our stand at the fair we thought...
It was BiII´s idea...
We thought that maybe
you couId do a number... Something IiveIy.
A number?
- They think we´re strippers! - ObviousIy.
The fact is, the performers we hired
Ieft us high and dry at the Iast minute,
and we need...
- Stand-ins. - Just Iike that.
That´s right.
So, interested?
Interested isn´t the word. But we´II think it over.
We´re quite busy at the moment.
Does that mean ´´yes´´ or ´´no´´?
- What do you think? - But what do they want?
- Something IiveIy. - You said that aIready.
Something in this vein?
ln Hamburg, port of call, On a rain-slicked street,
Three sailors and love meet And go to the losers´ball.
lt´s a foursome on the town When three girls on the make
Meet losers on a round On the street of heartbreak.
ln Hamburg, port of call, Three sailors from the East
Talk of romance´s thrall As if they believed it all,
As if for that price
The girls of the waterfront Would give these sailor boys
All the love they want.
How was that?
- Depressing! - And oId as the hiIIs.
We´ve had it with saiIors, girIs and boats.
We get the message.
- Our song... - They´II Iike it.
We are a pair of twins Born in the sign of Gemini.
With our feet on the ground We have flights of fantasy.
Give us a happy start, Give us harmony,
Give it heart And a touch of sorcery.
Let it burst with joy, Let it glow with energy.
Give us a song, Give us fantasy.
Want us to dance too? Modern or classic?
Something to prance to Or more romantic?
Would you like Mozart? Would you like Stravinsky?
Johann Sebastian Bach?
Or maybe Boguslawski?
Louis Armstrong, Ellington?
Count Basie or Hampton?
Or maybe you´d prefer
Michel Legrand?
Sing about love Or even hate.
Just make it bright.
Sing today. Dance tonight.
Sing of light.
Dance for joy. Sing the wind.
Sing the sun and the rain.
Fire us. lnspire us.
Enchant and astonish us.
Hang out the streamers of sun, Paint it all the color of delight.
Drape every facade in light, Build bonfires of pleasures and fun.
Why waste time? Why push me away?
You´ll be my wife...
Why a seaside bungalow?
Why a millionaire from Mexico?
You can´t whine till your dying day.
The harmony´s sublime.
What a paradigm.
Where are the pretty hands that wrote those notes?
Must l never see her again?
Why love on some Pacific shore
When it´s right here in my store?
...And at the same time,
A true stroke of chance.
l find my great romance,
The very day l leave.
Passion. Spirit. Love. Folly. Genius.
Joy. Life. Happiness...
SATURDAY MORNING
You´re aIone?
Josette took Booboo to schooI, Gramps is asIeep.
- Going somewhere? - I have two days of Ieave Ieft
so I´m going home to Nantes. My Ieave´s immi-Nantes!
Aren´t you funny!
Give me a beer.
I´II be back Monday morning
in time to pack my bags. Then it´s so Iong, Rochefort!
Someone butchered a dame By the chateau in Etiquette Lane.
A wicker basket found today
Contained the pieces of Pelagie Rosier.
Ex-Folie Bergére chorine And one-time beauty queen.
Aged 60, she won hurrahs Under her stage name, Lola-Lola.
She nailed audiences to their seat Before bringing them to their feet.
The hamper´s open, the case is too. Police won´t say if there´s a clue.
No stone will be left unturned Until the slasher´s name is learned.
Ever heard of LoIa-LoIa?
I´ve never known any dancers.
Here comes Josette.
What kept you?
There was a police cordon Near school where l left your son.
A sadist´s on the loose, Some think he´s a mystical recluse.
Everyone´s in an uproar, lt seems he used an ax or a saw.
He cut her into bits And laid her out like a puzzle kit.
lt was all impeccable, the feet below...
Horrorsl Nol
They say they´ll get the man. We must remain as calm as we can.
l´ll have a look, then catch my train.
He´s on immi-Nantes leavel
- Until Mondayl - Your gearl
- Goodbye, friendsl - Bon voyagel
A rotten crime, a filthy skunkl
Yet he put away the pieces in a trunk.
- Be so good as to move along. - Please don´t get us wrong.
Don´t make us club you on the ear.
The blood came out to here.
lt was a sweet old white-haired sister.
- lt boggles the mind. - Blondes are my kind.
Well, thanks a lot, Mister.
Don´t get angry. l prefer blondes. But it´s not because your hair´s red
That l´d take an ax to your head.
- Would the sadist be you? - Heavens, no. And you?
- Teach music is what l like to do. - Abstract art is my conceit
But my ambition´s more concrete: l´m looking for the ideal woman.
l did a painting of her though, Come see it at my studio.
- We can maybe do a seance. - Good old Maxencel
- How d´you know my name? - Mom mentioned it when you came
Yesterday to the café. l´m Solange Garnier.
- Ah, you´re the twin, right? - You might be more polite.
- Where´re you headed? - Train to catch.
l´m off to Nantes. My leave´s immi-Nantes.
That didn´t make you laugh one bit.
That´s bargain-basement wit.
Don´t take it out on me. So long. Another time, maybe.
Excuse me, sir, l´m looking for A certain piano store.
- l never buy any. - But that´s plain sillyl
Painting´s more in my chords, l play on canvas, not keyboards.
Well, music is my line But l think painting, too, is fine.
l´ll tell you what l think, You and l are in the pink.
l´ve really got to run, l´ve got a train at one.
My leave is immi-Nantes.
lmmi-Nantes leavel
That´s one l can´t believel
- Sorry, Miss. - Excuse me, Sir.
l´m so remiss. Let me help. Are you hurt?
No, but if you´re in a rush, No need to make a fuss.
l don´t mean to be a pain
But l´ve been searching in vain For a guy named Dame
Who runs a piano store.
What a silly namel
- Nice man, though. - l don´t say no.
- But it´s funny all the same. - That´s not why l came.
A name tells you nothing, it´s like a face.
l may look dumb but l´m no basket case.
lt´s not that l´m so giddy, l´ve been on a shopping spree.
But l´m a nice girl at heart.
Oh, yes, you´re looking for Your friend´s music store.
Turn left here, then take second right.
Thanks for the precious tip.
Sorry, l have to run, l have an appointment at one.
- Hi, pumpkinl What´s that there? - Nothing,just a tear.
- Why all the boxes? - Our costumes, fit for a queen.
- Quickl Let me seel - So simple, they suit us to a T.
- Niftyl - Naughtyl - l´m hungryl
We´re going, just wait a minute more.
Won´t we look a bit like whores?
Funny, the idea never occurred to me.
HeIIo, Mr Dame.
Yes...?
Don´t you recognize me?
I´m afraid, sir...
Andy!
God damn me! I´m unforgivabIe.
Why, I often think of you. I even wrote to your Paris agent yesterday.
- Have I changed that much? - Not at aII.
But I never expected to see you in my shop after aII these years.
- 10 years. - Yep, 10 years.
It´s nice here. It´s caIm.
Live aIone?
What about Yvonne?
She never came back.
Why this honor?
I´m on a concert tour of Europe,
I was in Paris yesterday and thought of you.
My agent toId me you were here, so I came.
I´m so gIad to see you.
I reaIIy admire your work.
What success! TruIy fabuIous.
Even during Conservatory days your taIent was obvious.
You knew what you wanted. And you got it.
That´s true.
When l was a boy, l dreamed of conquering the world.
ln my thoughts, notes and scales swirled.
For me, a piano chord had infinite charm.
For a fortissimo, l´d have given my right arm.
For a symphony, l´d have sold my brother.
For a melody, l´d have betrayed my mother.
Music was my whole life, you see,
And no person could get through to me.
Today l have everything l yearned for,
Fame, talent, money and more.
l´m flattered, worshipped, dehumanized.
Stupidity has left me demoralized.
l´d have liked to fight for true treasures.
l´d sacrifice it all for tender pleasures.
l didn´t have Love but Love is here today
Every since that girl came my way.
Can she be far? ls she near to me?
l never saw her again But l know now she exists.
ls she chaste? Or does she live fast and free?
Her virtue means nothing Because l am an artist,
And Love is the sole authority.
So you´re disappointed and in Iove?
Not disappointed, but wise and in Iove.
For aII that, wiII you stay in Rochefort?
I can´t. I pIay in Paris tomorrow.
But I´II be back next week.
I must find that girI.
Maybe you know her?
There are many pretty girIs here.
So you wrote to me?
Yes, about a young friend...
an admirer who´d Iike to meet you. She writes music...
I´II say no more. But you can heIp her. She deserves it.
- Are you in Iove? - Maybe.
- Pretty? - Much more.
Wow!
I´m so thriIIed to see you.
Listen to this. TeII me what you think.
I´ve heard that somewhere.
Nice, isn´t it?
Very.
I´ve heard it before.
But where?
Odd! Where is my concerto?
You had it today, indeed a whiIe ago.
But I put it in the usuaI pIace,
between my Iipstick and eyegIass case.
Here comes SubtiI Dutrouz. You´ve aII met. Have a seat, do.
- I don´t beIieve I know these girIs. - I spoke of them.
They´re my twin pearIs.
I beIieve we´ve met somepIace.
No, I never forget a face.
Upon my word, I´ve seen you somewhere
unIess there´s a doubIe of you out there.
- DeIphine is a dancer... - DoubtIess, I´m wrong...
SoIange is weII versed in music and song. You´re just in time.
But before you partake,
do us the honors and cut the cake.
I wouIdn´t know how.
Are you being modest?
I shan´t decIine if you insist.
PIease do, Dutrouz.
Maxence isn´t here, aIas.
He went home on a week-end pass.
He caIIed his Ieave ´´immi-Nantes.´´ I had a good Iaugh.
- The pun´s ineIegant. - Who´s this joker?
A painter-poet. A saiIor who can do a portrait.
Does he Iove me?
It´s anyone´s guess.
I drink to your Iove and success.
To oId times, so exotic! SaIonica! We met there, in aeronautics.
We met in Cherbourg, in front of a bar.
He´d been thrown out, drunk as a tar.
At the time, Iife was no joke. I´d Iost my job and was fIat-broke.
I got drunk.
- What a downer! - Don´t be a snot!
- Don´t scratch. - So what?
Hands on the tabIe! Enough champagne! He´s unbearabIe!
I´m sure we´ve met somewhere before.
We haven´t, don´t insist anymore.
Let the gentIeman finish his story.
Things weren´t hunky-dory.
I roamed through Cherbourg aimIessIy
after spending six months at sea.
I knew a hairdresser in Cherbourg, Aimé...
He married a certain Mme Desnoyers.
A widow from Tours, or was it OrIeans?
She was a mother, a one-time chorine.
I don´t know her.
No, it was Nantes, it seems.
- Is there any ice cream? - Be quiet!
The dinner´s a bit duII.
How about a spectacIe? Do a number from your show.
- Without a piano, no. - I´m feeIing a bit out of tune.
- I haven´t seen your stage costume. - Tomorrow.
But I won´t be at the fair. I´m open on Sundays. I´m stuck here.
Leaving, then?
AIas, aII good things come to an end.
We´re off as weII, we start at dawn.
Don´t get up, we´re going, we´re gone.
Booboo´s sIeeping the sIeep of the just.
With the bottIe he drank, he must!
The sandman´s gone a bit insane.
He sprinkIed Booboo with champagne.
Good night, dears.
How do I get this one up the stairs?
SUNDAY
Ride, ride, ride!
Ride on air...No stress, no cares.
For aII tastes. At aII prices.
- I messed up my eyes! - They´re fine.
Have you seen my gIove?
You´re on!
I can´t go on with one... Here it is!
Hurry up!
And now, it´s our pIeasure to present the Garnier sisters!
Here they are, the famous Garnier sisters!
When the summer is gone, When the seasons move on,
When the leaves die and fall, We only sigh about it all.
But to bring back a summer´s day, When the cold is here to stay
And your heart´s in a pall, All you have to do is love...
Love your life, love the flowers, Love to laugh, love to cry.
Love the day, love the night. Love the sunshine and showers.
Love the cold, love the wind, Love the cities and the fields.
Love the sea, love the flames, Love the world and be happy again.
When love has gone and died, And there´s a chill in your heart,
You swear never again to start And all you do is cry.
But if love´s to return And your heart is to burn,
Though everything´s taciturn, You´ve got to love...
When you´ve found new delight, When you feel your heart´s might,
And love is back in sight, Each day is a summer´s day.
So with new joys in store, And summer at your door,
And Love as your servitor, You´ve got to sing...
Sing of love, sing of flowers, Sing of laughter and tears.
Sing of the day, sing of the night, Sing of rain and sunlight...
- TaIk about stage fright! - It went aII right.
It came undone here.
- A guy to see you. - Me?
- No, DeIphine. - Who is it?
He didn´t say.
WeII, we got appIause.
Not quite the Asian shimmy, but it´s got charm.
Enough out of you!
Go find your shimmiers, you boors!
Oh, it´s you.
Disappointed?
Yes.
I saw your act... I came to say you´ve made progress.
Apart from the fIattery...?
If you wanted, I couId make you a star.
Come with me,
I´m going to Paris.
- A girI Iike you... - ...needs a man Iike you.
I Iove how you think on your feet.
I never want to see you again.
You´II regret it.
What about my painter?
Transferred to Germany. Thanks to me, dear heart.
DeIphine. My sister.
- It was wonderfuI. - Thank you.
ReaIIy, I mean it.
Leaving tomorrow?
Yes. These gentIemen wiII take us to Paris.
I saw my friend, Andy.
He came here to see me. He´s going back to Paris.
He feII in Iove with a girI he saw here.
It´s a Iong story.
I toId him about you.
You can go see him in Paris.
Thank you.
That was kind of you.
It´s onIy naturaI.
Good-bye, gentIemen.
- Bye, girIs. - Bye, Mr. Dame.
Good Iuck.
- Don´t stay there. - We in the way?
We´d Iike to change. Turn around.
- We´ve something to say. - Make it quick.
Can we draw these?
We´re waiting.
Here goes: Etienne and I Iove you.
But we Iove you, too. Don´t we?
Sure, we do.
Can one of you pass me my jeans?
- We mean, romanticaIIy. - What?
- We´re in Iove with you. - What are they taIking about?
So, we want to sIeep with you.
What?
It´s normaI, when you´re in Iove.
- That expIains the Iift? - We´II take the train.
You´re not very accommodating.
We know your type.
Always the same old tune, Always the same soft sell,
Always the man who will Take you to a hotel... Why?
Never ´´l love you,´´ Never ´´l´ll be true,´´
Never a billet doux As gentlemen used to do.
Always the same refrain, Always the quick fling,
Always a love in vain Never leading to anything.
Why? Oh why?
Never fine sentiments,
Never a romantic urge,
Never a moment intense Or a lyrical surge...
Always guys on the run, Always the one-night stand,
Always up before the sun And off with a wave of the hand.
Always the passion that cools, Always the bad aftertaste,
Always the feeling of haste, The heart playing the fool.
Oh why? Why do you sigh for us?
Why do you take us to bed?
Why say you´d die for us But never promise to wed?
Why get so upset? Why lecture us like this?
But to end the fete Can we give you a kiss?
Okay?
Okay.
- StiII coming tomorrow? - If you promise to behave.
- We´II try. - Then we´re coming.
- Meet us here at noon. - See you tomorrow!
Always the same refrain, Always the let-down,
Always telling us no. Never is the answer yes. Oh why?
Always those promises But tomorrow never comes.
We never have a chance.
We really look dumb.
Why?
MONDAY MORNING
MaiIman!
Hurry, you´II be Iate.
Hurry, Booboo.
- ´Bye, sweetie. - ´Bye, Mom.
- A cup of coffee. - Make it two.
- Leaving aIready? - We´II be back.
- Taking my girIs? - We meet at noon.
Be carefuI.
- Was the fair a success? - A huge one.
- And my girIs? - A triumph!
They made the front page! With a photo!
´´Twins Iaunch their own Gemini.´´
What´s that mean?
- I don´t get it. - Me, neither.
Look, it´s Dutrouz!
´´Sadist Hid Murder Weapon at Home.´´
That´s Dutrouz, aII right.
They forgot the ´´z.´´ He´II Iose his head.
If he hoIds on to it.
How about that!
- ShaII we? - Let´s go.
We have to go by the hoteI, then finish Ioading.
That fuss about cutting a cake!
Wicked man!
Good-bye, and bon voyage.
If you´re ever in Rochefort, stop by.
True, there´s troubIe everywhere.
Dutrouz...
The rat!
11:30 aIready...
- I´ve come for my Iesson. - SchooI´s cIosed for good.
- Who was it? - The Dumont girI, for her Iesson.
At this hour!
It´s 11:30.
I didn´t canceI! We´II never make it by noon!
We must say good-bye to Mom and fetch Booboo.
How wiII I manage in time?
I´II kiss Mom good-bye whiIe you go by schooI.
- What´d you Iose? - The 3rd movement of my concerto.
- This is a disaster! - You know it by heart.
StiII, it´s annoying.
- What if they reaIIy Iove us? - Who?
Our carnies.
I don´t know.
- They´re sweet. - Yes, they are.
What about your foreigner?
Vanished. Maybe I dreamed him up.
- And your painter? - He´s in Germany.
- Expecting someone? - No, but now we´re reaIIy Iate.
SoIange, you must come right away.
Where?
To my shop. Andy´s back and waiting for you.
Now?
Right now. He´s just passing through.
But we´re so Iate aIready, and I must fetch my brother at schooI.
Maybe he couId go. The schooI´s right nearby.
- It´d heIp us out. - How can you?
Of course I wiII!
Ask for Booboo. He´s a IittIe redhead.
ImpossibIe, I can´t go!
I´m scared stiff! I´II see him in Paris.
Nonsense! Go on!
- Yes, go on! - I´m shaking!
It´s so crazy!
Not even a ´´heIIo´´?
What a difference! I mean, from the uniform.
I´m out, Yvonne!
Time to Iive!
I thought they´d keep you... seeing the news.
- What news? - Seen the papers? TroubIe aII over.
Come on! Dutrouz may be a pessimist, but you?
Speak of the deviI...
Look at this.
He´s the sadist! A crime of passion...
For 40 years, she turned him down.
Sure, it was aggravating, but that´s no reason to carve her up.
She was too big a thing in his Iife.
I´m off.
To Paris?
You may run into my daughters.
I met one the other day... SoIange.
And your ideaI?
It´II have to wait.
My picture´s at the gaIIery. Go see it sometime.
Let me kiss you good-bye.
Good-bye, Maxence.
- So you´re reaIIy off? - About time!
- SoIange won´t come by? - I came for both of us.
I guess you can´t fetch Booboo.
He´s in good hands.
A friend, Mr Dame, went for him. Lucky he came by.
What´d you say? Mr Dame?
Simon Dame. A siIIy name, but a nice man.
I must go out.
Gramps is asIeep, Josette isn´t back. Watch the pIace!
But I can´t! They´re waiting for me.
Be right back.
Yvonne! My paper!
You hear me?
I forgot my bag.
Who´s there?
The foreigner...
- Are you Andy? - That´s me.
- Where´d you find that music? - In the street.
I Iooked aII over.
So did I. I Iooked aII over for you.
Yvonne! You here?
How was Mexico?
LoveIy, Simon.
- Where´re you going? - To Paris.
We´II go in my car. At 140 mph, it´II take 4 hours.
I´m in no hurry.
Forget about that painter.
I´II go to Germany if I must, but I´II find him.
Good Iuck, then.
- TeII me where he is. - In Paris.
´´Paris is smaII for a great passion Iike yours.´´
You´re sure to run into him. On the bouIevards.
Hurry, they´re waiting.
- SoIange isn´t here? - Too bad!
But we were to meet at noon.
It´s nearIy haIf-past, get in!
Wait. Here she comes!
- No, it´s Josette. - Wait for me!
Take me. I want to see Paris.
Hop in.
We go from place to place, Across rivers and valleys.
They call us carnies, The road is our home-base.
SubtitIes: Lenny Borger - Cynthia Schoch
SubtitIing by TVS - TITRA FILM