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WarDramaHistory

Is Paris Burning?

- "Burn Paris!" was the order that had come shrieking over the phone.

Near the end of World War II, Gen. Dietrich von Choltitz receives orders to burn down Paris if it becomes clear the Allies are going to invade, or if he cannot maintain control of the city. After much contemplation Choltitz decides to ignore his orders, enraging the Germans and giving hope to various resistance factions that the city will be liberated. Choltitz, along with Swedish diplomat Raoul Nordling, helps a resistance leader organize his forces.

Release Date : 1966-10-26

Language :EnglishGermanFrench

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Paramount PicturesMarianne ProductionsTranscontinental FilmsSeven Arts ProductionsRastar Productions

Production Country : FranceUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Jean-Paul Belmondo

Character Name : Yvon Morandat

Original Name : Jean-Paul Belmondo

Gender : Male

Charles Boyer

Character Name : Doctor Monod

Original Name : Charles Boyer

Gender : Male

Leslie Caron

Character Name : Françoise Labé

Original Name : Leslie Caron

Gender : Female

Jean-Pierre Cassel

Character Name : Lt. Henri Karcher

Original Name : Jean-Pierre Cassel

Gender : Male

George Chakiris

Character Name : GI in Tank

Original Name : George Chakiris

Gender : Male

Bruno Cremer

Character Name : Colonel Rol Tanguy

Original Name : Bruno Cremer

Gender : Male

Claude Dauphin

Character Name : Colonel Lebel

Original Name : Claude Dauphin

Gender : Male

Alain Delon

Character Name : Jacques Chaban-Delmas

Original Name : Alain Delon

Gender : Male

Kirk Douglas

Character Name : General Patton

Original Name : Kirk Douglas

Gender : Male

Pierre Dux

Character Name : Cerat - Alexandre Parodi

Original Name : Pierre Dux

Gender : Male

Glenn Ford

Character Name : Lt. Gen. Omar N. Bradley

Original Name : Glenn Ford

Gender : Male

Gert Fröbe

Character Name : Von Choltitz

Original Name : Gert Fröbe

Gender : Male

Daniel Gélin

Character Name : Yves Bayet

Original Name : Daniel Gélin

Gender : Male

Georges Géret

Character Name : Baker

Original Name : Georges Géret

Gender : Male

Hannes Messemer

Character Name : General Jodl

Original Name : Hannes Messemer

Gender : Male

Harry Meyen

Character Name : Lieutenant von Arnim

Original Name : Harry Meyen

Gender : Male

Yves Montand

Character Name : Sgt. Marcel Bizien

Original Name : Yves Montand

Gender : Male

Anthony Perkins

Character Name : Sgt. Warren

Original Name : Anthony Perkins

Gender : Male

Michel Piccoli

Character Name : Edgar Pisani

Original Name : Michel Piccoli

Gender : Male

Wolfgang Preiss

Character Name : Capitaine Ebernach

Original Name : Wolfgang Preiss

Gender : Male

Claude Rich

Character Name : General Leclerc

Original Name : Claude Rich

Gender : Male

Robert Stack

Character Name : General Sibert

Original Name : Robert Stack

Gender : Male

Simone Signoret

Character Name : Cafe Owner

Original Name : Simone Signoret

Gender : Female

Jean-Louis Trintignant

Character Name : Captain Serge

Original Name : Jean-Louis Trintignant

Gender : Male

Pierre Vaneck

Character Name : Maj. Roger Gallois

Original Name : Pierre Vaneck

Gender : Male

Marie Versini

Character Name : Claire Morandat

Original Name : Marie Versini

Gender : Female

Skip Ward

Character Name : Charlie, U.S. soldier

Original Name : Skip Ward

Gender : Male

Orson Welles

Character Name : Konsul Nordling

Original Name : Orson Welles

Gender : Male

Michel Etcheverry

Character Name : Prefect Luizet

Original Name : Michel Etcheverry

Gender : Male

Billy Frick

Character Name : Adolf Hitler

Original Name : Billy Frick

Gender : Male

Ernst Fritz Fürbringer

Character Name : General von Voineburg

Original Name : Ernst Fritz Fürbringer

Gender : Male

Konrad Georg

Character Name : Gen. Field Marshal Model

Original Name : Konrad Georg

Gender : Male

Joachim Hansen

Character Name : Commander of Fresnes prison

Original Name : Joachim Hansen

Gender : Male

Félix Marten

Character Name : Georges Landrieu

Original Name : Félix Marten

Gender : Male

Paloma Matta

Character Name : Lilane Charvet, young bride

Original Name : Paloma Matta

Gender : Female

Günter Meisner

Character Name : SS Commander in Pantin

Original Name : Günter Meisner

Gender : Male

Sacha Pitoëff

Character Name : Joliot-Curie

Original Name : Sacha Pitoëff

Gender : Male

Albert Rémy

Character Name : Policeman / Gendarme

Original Name : Albert Rémy

Gender : Male

Christian Rode

Character Name : Burned German soldier

Original Name : Christian Rode

Gender : Male

Helmuth Schneider

Character Name : German adjutant in the subway

Original Name : Helmuth Schneider

Gender : Male

Otto Stern

Character Name : German soldier in the subway

Original Name : Otto Stern

Gender : Male

Tony Taffin

Character Name : Bernard Labé

Original Name : Tony Taffin

Gender : Male

Jean Valmont

Character Name : F.F.I. bazooka

Original Name : Jean Valmont

Gender : Male

Karl-Otto Alberty

Character Name : SS (Bayeux Tapestry)

Original Name : Karl-Otto Alberty

Gender : Male

Pierre Collet

Character Name : Resistant policeman

Original Name : Pierre Collet

Gender : Male

Paul Crauchet

Character Name : Priest

Original Name : Paul Crauchet

Gender : Male

Germaine de France

Character Name : Old lady

Original Name : Germaine de France

Gender : Female

Bernard Fresson

Character Name : F.F.I liaison officer

Original Name : Bernard Fresson

Gender : Male

Michel Gonzalès

Character Name : Resistant student

Original Name : Michel Gonzalès

Gender : Male

Peter Jacob

Character Name : Infantry General Burgdorf

Original Name : Peter Jacob

Gender : Male

Hubert de Lapparent

Character Name : Bailiff at Matignon

Original Name : Hubert de Lapparent

Gender : Male

Roger Lumont

Character Name : Jade Amicol

Original Name : Roger Lumont

Gender : Male

Pierre Mirat

Character Name : Owner of the Medicis bistro

Original Name : Pierre Mirat

Gender : Male

Francis Nani

Character Name : Resistant student

Original Name : Francis Nani

Gender : Male

Peter Neusser

Character Name : SS (Bayeux Tapestry)

Original Name : Peter Neusser

Gender : Male

Sébastien Poitrenaud

Character Name : Resistant student

Original Name : Sébastien Poitrenaud

Gender : Male

Jean-Michel Rouzière

Character Name : Gentleman with the little dog

Original Name : Jean-Michel Rouzière

Gender : Male

Georges Staquet

Character Name : Captain Dronne

Original Name : Georges Staquet

Gender : Male

Hénia Suchar

Character Name : Prefecture's switchboard operator

Original Name : Hénia Suchar

Gender : Female

Claude Vernier

Character Name : German prisoner

Original Name : Claude Vernier

Gender : Male

Georges Claisse

Character Name : Intern with Monod (uncredited)

Original Name : Georges Claisse

Gender : Male

Suzy Delair

Character Name : Parisian woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Suzy Delair

Gender : Female

Patrick Dewaere

Character Name : Young resistant (uncredited)

Original Name : Patrick Dewaere

Gender : Male

André Falcon

Character Name : Member of Resistance council (uncredited)

Original Name : André Falcon

Gender : Male

Michel Fugain

Character Name : Young resistant (uncredited)

Original Name : Michel Fugain

Gender : Male

Jeanne Herviale

Character Name : Bit part (uncredited)

Original Name : Jeanne Herviale

Gender : Female

Michael Lonsdale

Character Name : Debu-Bridel (uncredited)

Original Name : Michael Lonsdale

Gender : Male

Jacques Léonard

Character Name : American soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Jacques Léonard

Gender : Male

Maria Machado

Character Name : Stella (uncredited)

Original Name : Maria Machado

Gender : Female

E.G. Marshall

Character Name : Intelligence Officer Powell (uncredited)

Original Name : E.G. Marshall

Gender : Male

Mike Marshall

Character Name : F.F.I. member (uncredited)

Original Name : Mike Marshall

Gender : Male

Georges Poujouly

Character Name : Landrieux (uncredited)

Original Name : Georges Poujouly

Gender : Male

Serge Rousseau

Character Name : Col. Fabien (uncredited)

Original Name : Serge Rousseau

Gender : Male

Cécile Vassort

Character Name : Young woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Cécile Vassort

Gender : Female

Michel Sardou

Character Name : Young resistant (uncredited)

Original Name : Michel Sardou

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-06-18

With the Allies rapidly approaching Paris, the general in charge of the city is issued with orders by his Führer to prepare plans to destroy the city. Fortunately, von Choltitz (Gert Fröbe) is not convinced that in the face of imminent defeat, this is the right thing to do - so he obeys, but in a rather lacklustre and half-hearted fashion. Meantime, scenting victory, the resistance are starting to make their own plans to seize control of increasingly larger parts of the city ready for the arrival of George Patton's American troops. René Clément has assembled a pretty stellar cast here with Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Alain Delon - a veritable who's who of French cinema supported by brief cameos from Kirk Douglas and Glenn Ford. The problem for me is with the pace of the thing. It's not just that it's fractionally shy of three hours long, it's that it tries to tell the story in too bitty a fashion. We dart about the chronology and geography just a bit too often for the story to have much cohesion and there are simply too many characters for us to keep up with - a little like "The Longest Day" from 1962. It serves as a useful piece of propaganda, though, illustrating that it was to the French that the Nazis surrendered and that they were poised to ease into the civilian government of France as soon as the Swastika fell. As is always the case, the best history is always written by the winners - so I'm not sure just how accurate this is, but at least we know who emerges victorious in the end.