The Affair of the Poisons (film)

The Affair of the Poisons

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	1955
Headquarters	Paris , France

The Affair of the Poisons (French: L'affaire des poisons, Italian: Il processo dei veleni) is a historical drama from 1955, produced as a French-Italian collaboration and directed by Henri Decoin. The film features performances by Danielle Darrieux, Viviane Romance, and Paul Meurisse. It is based on Victorien Sardou's 1907 theatrical work and was captured in Technicolor at Boulogne Studios in Paris, with Jean d'Eaubonne responsible for the production design. Set against the backdrop of the seventeenth-century French Affair of the Poisons, the movie presents a notably darker atmosphere compared to conventional period dramas.

Synopsis

Madame de Montespan, fearing the loss of King Louis XIV's affection, turns to a young sorceress who is part of a clandestine network involved in black magic and poisonings. This revelation shakes the French royal court, leading to multiple arrests, executions, and ultimately the removal of Montespan from courtly life.

Cast

• Danielle Darrieux as Françoise Athénaïs de Montespan
• Viviane Romance as Catherine Deshayes known as La Voisin
• Paul Meurisse as L'abbé Etienne Guibourg
• Anne Vernon as Hermine Des Oeillets
• Pierre Mondy as Captain François Desgrez
• François Patrice as Monsieur de Lignières
• Christine Carère as Marie-Angélique de Fontanges
• Roldano Lupi as The alchemist Lesage
• Albert Rémy as Executioner Guillaume
• Luisa Rossi as Madame Gobet
• Renaud Mary as Henri de Montespan
• Maurice Teynac as Nicolas de la Reynie
• Roland Armontel as The blind man
• Michel Etcheverry as The preacher
• Albert Michel as Gobet
• Jacques Moulières as The blind man's child
• André Numès Fils as The clerk
• Dominique Page as The pregnant girl
• Simone Paris as Madame de Ludre
• Jean-Marie Robain as A judge of the Chambre Ardente

Bibliography

• Oscherwitz, Danya. Past Forward: French Cinema and the Post-Colonial Heritage. SIU Press, 2010.