Picture of the film POIL DE CAROTTE (THE RED HEAD) by Julien DUVIVIER © 1932 - TF1 STUDIO
Poil de Carotte (The Red Head): the life story of an unloved child
When director Julien Duvivier selected Robert Lynen for the role of François Lepic, called "poil de carrote" (red head), for the eponymous film, he made the young boy the child star of the inter-war period. A promising start which led to a tragic destiny for the actor, whose first film, Poil de Carotte (The Red Head) (1932) is brought back in its 4K restored version in Cannes Classics.
Like in Jules Renard's novel, from which the film was adapted, François Lepic (Robert Lynen), or "Poil de Carotte" (Red Head) leads an unhappy life surrounded by a mean, tyrannical mother (Catherine Fonteney), greedy and unlikeable siblings, and a distant, taciturn father (Harry Baur). Only the maid Annette (Christiane Dor), seems to feel pity for the young boy. Released in 1932, the French filmmaker's motion picture was a huge popular success.
Robert Lynen, a talented actor killed at the height of his career
Of his short-lived career, Poil de Carotte (The Red Head) remains Robert Lynen's defining film, as it propelled the 12-year-old actor into the spotlight. He then went on to garner a series of leading roles, notably in Sans famille (1934) by Marc Allégret, in which he embodies Rémi. Four years later, in Le Petit Chose (The Little Things) (1938) by Maurice Cloche, he continued to receive top billing.
In June, 1940, he joined the resistance and acted in independent films. Arrested by the Gestapo, he was shot and killed in April, 1944 at the age of 22. This Cannes selection is the opportunity to rediscover the first role played by French cinema's eternal child.
