Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)

Toronto Film Society presented Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) on Saturday, July 27, 2024 as part of the Season 76 Virtual Film Buffs Screening Series, Programme 11.

Production Company: Stanley Kramer Company.  Distribution: United Artists.  Producer: Stanley Kramer.  Director: Michael Gordon. Screenplay: Carl Forman. Translation: Brian Hooker, based on the story Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, with additional scenes by Carl Forman.  Cinematographer: Frank Planer A.S.C (Garutso Balanced Lens).  Editor: Harry Gerstad.  Production Design: Rudolph Sternad.   Composer: Dimitri Tiomkin.  Released: November 16th, 1950 (U.S.A)

Cast: José Ferrer (Cyrano de Bergerac), Mala Powers (Roxane), William Prince (Christian de Neuvillette), Morris Carnovsky (Le Bret), Jerry Paris (Cadet).

One of many adaptations, Michael Gordon’s Cyrano de Bergerac released in 1950 and starring José Ferrer as the titular character, stays true to the original storyline that Edmond Rostand carefully knit together in poetry and prose in his 1897 play of the same name, with a few minor developments by writer Carl Forman.

José Ferrer’s performance as Cyrano not only encapsulates the spirit of the theatre, but creates a larger than life personality for the character that bursts off the page and through the screen through quick quips and humorous statements: “One this pastry chef is a good friend of mine, Two, this pastry chef is also a poet, and Three if anything should happen to this pastry chef, in the morning his shop will be closed” that reflect a touch of the Victorian era and a touch of modernity that seeps into the comedy of today – writing that is far beyond its time.

Pride and loyalty are very large themes within this story. Its uniqueness in the realm of the romantic genre stems from its ability to show a toxic, insecure and gifted man slowly peel away his mask to reveal vulnerability in the wake of love, and cover up again immediately in the wake of scorn. The ultimate story of the friend-zone.

In this particular version, Carl Forman took the liberty of writing additional lines for Cyrano and added a character – an unnamed cardinal, and with that also merged characters within the play for complexities sake. With the play being almost two-and-a-half hours on stage, Forman managed to bring the film down to only two hours.

Several other changes to the story were made, including the ending – in the play, he is hit on the head with a log. At the time of production, producers were concerned the film would not do well at the box office – and it didn’t, so its budget was slightly lower than that of other releases around the same time.

It was the first to use the Western Electric sound recording system that became the standard by 1953. Though low-budget, its stage-like appearance adds to its gorgeous visuals: dark dramatic shadows in the night, bright stage lighting in the day, and stand-out costumes that contrast the stark drama with pompous hilarity.

The film was honoured with many awards and nominations, including a win for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, going to Ferrer, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, which in 1951, when Ferrer won, was the first instance of the award.

The film also received recognition by the New York Critics Circle, and National Board of Review, leading to a win in 1952 for Michael Gordon, from the DGA for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures. In 2022, the film would be recognized by the National Film Preservation Board.

Notes by Lorenza De Benedictis

Cyrano de Bergerac boasts three Canadian connections!

 Hal McAlpin (born in Ontario, May 19, 1901) was a still photographer on this production, one of a dozen films on which he had the same role, including The Bishop’s Wife (1947), The Pride of the Yankees (1942) and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). His first job as a cinematographer was 1957’s Destination 60,000 but he worked mostly in television until 1967. He passed away in 1973.

Edward G. Boyle (born in Cobden, Ontario, January 30, 1899), was nominated for 7 Oscars for Set Dressing between 1942 and 1970. He won in 1961 for The Apartment. His first film was Nothing Sacred (1937) and is also known for Sudden Fear (1952), The Star (1952), Some Like it Hot (1959), and The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). He was also an uncredited set designer on Gone With the Wind (1939) and his personal script from that film sold for $2,032US in 2002.

Richard Avonde (born in Hamilton, Ontario, May 22, 1914) plays the Marquis in Cyrano de Bergerac. He appeared in 56 other films and TV shows between 1946 and 1960, including The Razor’s Edge (1946), Captain Carey, U.S.A (1949), and The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (1955).