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Knock (1951) Online

Knock (1951) Online
Original Title :
Knock
Genre :
Movie / Comedy
Year :
1951
Directror :
Guy Lefranc
Cast :
Louis Jouvet,Jean Brochard,Pierre Renoir
Writer :
Jules Romains,Georges Neveux
Type :
Movie
Time :
1h 38min
Rating :
7.4/10
Knock (1951) Online

Saint-Maurice, an ordinary peaceful village, lived healthily so much so that the local doctor's practice was scant. But that was before Dr. Parpalaid retired and was replaced by a charlatan by the name of Knock. A real genius this one, for he soon managed to persuade everyone that they were ill. And not only didn't they resent him but they even loved their physician, who made a fortune and brought prosperity to the village by turning it into a big hospital.
Complete credited cast:
Louis Jouvet Louis Jouvet - Docteur Knock
Jean Brochard Jean Brochard - Docteur Albert Parpalaid
Pierre Renoir Pierre Renoir - Le pharmacien Mousquet
Pierre Bertin Pierre Bertin - L'instituteur Bernard
Marguerite Pierry Marguerite Pierry - Mme Pons, la dame en violet
Jean Carmet Jean Carmet - Le premier gars
Yves Deniaud Yves Deniaud - Le tambour de ville
Mireille Perrey Mireille Perrey - Mme Rémy
Jane Marken Jane Marken - Mme Parpalaid
Geneviève Morel Geneviève Morel - La dame en noir
Bernadette Lange Bernadette Lange - Mariette
André Dalibert André Dalibert - Le deuxième gars (as A. Dalibert)
Pierre Duncan Pierre Duncan - Le livreur
Paul Faivre Paul Faivre - Le maire Michalon
Sylvain Sylvain - Un chauffeur

The play was premiered in 1923 at the Comédie des Champs-Elysées with Louis Jouvet already playing Knock.

French censorship visa # 10767. The film was re-released in France in April 1968


User reviews

Brariel

Brariel

This is Louis Jouvet's triumph.The director could be anyone ,he does not exist here.All you've got to do is enjoy Louis Jouvet's fabulous intonations,subtle funny faces and extraordinary presence.

Jules Romain's famous play pits a charlatan against a whole village of healthy peasants .Believe it or not,in the short space of a few months,almost everyone's in bed ,"cured" by doctor Knock.The way Knock turns his patient into hypochondriacs is sheer genius.One could think that Knock's only in it for the money but it's not that simple:actually,he's crazy,and what's worse,a lot of people trust him and think he's the most sensible doctor they have ever known.The ending is not that much comic.The connection with Molière's "le malade imaginaire" is obvious.Human naivete knows no bounds.
Ttyr

Ttyr

There is a lot of give and take involved in the medical profession. Firstly,pharmaceutical companies need continual support from doctors in order to get their medicines approved by them.Secondly,doctors need patients who would make them and these pharmaceuticals companies rich.Finally,there are ordinary folks like you and me who are continually getting fooled by some fake doctors into believing that all is not well with our health.Hypochondriacs are a troubled lot as not only they make their lives uneasy but also of those around them.It is precisely this effect which was captured in 1923 by famous French dramatist Jules Romains in his satirical play Knock ou le Triomphe de la médecine.After its immense success,it was director's Guy Lefranc's chance to popularize it further by directing a film based on this satire.Thanks to great actor Louis Jouvet's powerful performances as a cunning quack,'Dr.Knock' was able to convince the denizens of a small town that the healthy are people who do not know that they are sick.The film 'Dr.Knock' was an immense box office success in France largely due to its witty dialogues which led everybody to doubt the state of affairs related to their personal health.According to his film,the biggest blow to a real doctor was received when a clever charlatan was able to convince a genuine yet naive doctor of his bad health.Lastly,it is high time one continues with self medication.