Picture of the day: Pour le Maillot Jaune

Here's a poster for a 'long lost' movie from 1940.   Shot in 1939 on the eve of WW2, release in a year that saw France fall, this film was hugely popular according to Jean Bobet.

In Petain's Nazi occupied France, cultural rallying points like this were a lot more than necessary.  They were a lifeline.  The bike was a symbol of lost freedom,  liberté.

The plot?  30's film star Albert Prejean stars as the Tour de France favorite who does poorly in the early stages, and wants to quit.  But thanks to the help of a journalist, he wins the maillot jaune. In the end, the hero loses the jersey, but wins the girl.  

This film truly might be as lost.  No sign on the web anywhere, not even a B&W photo.

Comments

  1. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031818/


    Ik geniet enorm van je website: goed geschreven, wel doordacht. Ik wou dat ik mijn ouwe wielermagazines nog had..

    groeten,

    fellow wielerenthousiast uit Somerville

    Eric

    ReplyDelete
  2. Heel erg bedankt Eric. Blij dat je de site. Ik zal proberen om te compenseren voor de verloren wielermagazines!
    Sommerville 4 ever! Eddy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. There is a 1965 16mm film on French eBay for 19,99 Euros - it is a documentary on the 1965 TdF without dialogue - could be interesting.

    http://cgi.ebay.fr/Film-16mm-POUR-UN-MAILLOT-JAUNE-de-CLAUDE-LELOUCH-1965-couleur-RARE-/230743009082?pt=FR_JG_Photo_Camescopes_Cameras&hash=item35b95ae73a

    DESCRIPTION: For sale a copy in good condition 16mm documentary film FOR A YELLOW JERSEY (1965) conducted by Claude Lelouch. This is a documentary about the 1965 LeTour of France without dialogue. Among the cyclists we recognize the winner of the Tour Felice Gimondi, but Raymond Poulidor, Rik Van Looy and others.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ted, that's different movie. You can get it on youtube

    ReplyDelete

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