Candide or The Optimism in the 20th Century
Candide ou l’optimisme au XXᵉ siècle
Charming and innocent, Candide is vigorously chased away by the Baron, for his close encounters with the pretty Cunégonde. World War II breaks out, and when he is drafted and taken prisoner, he is forced to take German nationality and ends up guarding the camp where he was imprisoned. He crossed into Switzerland, but as he had no bank account, he was incarcerated for eight days for trespassing. Hunted by the Gestapo, he kills two men to free Cunégonde, who has finally been found. They both flee to Argentina, and their world tour begins. In Paris, Moscow, New York, Borneo and Alexandria. They try to follow Dr. Pangloss' optimistic rule of life. Tossed about, separated, they find themselves grown old and wiser, thinking only of cultivating their garden on the shores of the Mediterranean.
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Cast
Jean-Pierre Cassel
as Candide
Jacqueline Maillan
as Mrs. Jim, la mère puritaine
Jean Constantin
as Fourak
Habib Benglia
as Le noir molesté (uncredited)
Gib Grossac
as Le chef des eunuques (uncredited)
Alice Sapritch
as La soeur du baron (uncredited)
Louis de Funès
as Officier de la Gestapo
Michel Serrault
as Le second policier / Policeman
Robert Manuel
as German Officer
Daliah Lavi
as Cunégonde
Pierre Brasseur
as Pangloss
Luis Mariano
as Un dictateur sud américain / South American Dictator
John William
as Le chef des Oreillons
Marcel Journet
as (uncredited)
Jean Tissier
as Le docteur Jacques
Mathilde Casadesus
as La baronne de Thunder-Ten-Tronck
Clément Duhour
Harold Kay
as German Officer
François Chalais
as Narrator (voice)
Maurice Biraud
as Le résident hollandais (uncredited)
Michel Garland
as Le frère de Cunégonde (uncredited)
Jean Poiret
as Le premier policier / Policeman
Darío Moreno
as Un dictateur sud américain / South American Dictator
Jacques Balutin
as L'ordonnance
Michel Simon
as Colonel Nanar, du cadre de réserve
Nadia Gray
as La dame de compagnie / Dame
Sybil Saulnier
as Une dame du harem (uncredited)
Pierre Repp
as Le pasteur (uncredited)
Jean Richard
as Le trafiquant du marché noir / Black Marketeer
Albert Simonin
as Le major Simpson / Major Simpson
Michel Thomass
as Le chauffeur russe de Pangloss (uncredited)