Au Revoir, Monsieur Hulot

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Unlike Jacques Tati, not all the European film comedy stars of the 1950s and early 1960s crossed boundaries as easily as he did.

France’s Fernandel had a following in Italy, and Italy’s Totò had a following in France (the two made a film together The Law is the Law in 1958). Whilst Norman Wisdom’s star has faded in Britain, he is still loved in Albania, and his films dubbbed into Hindi are popular on the internet. But it was Jacques Tati who really crossed national boundaries, and still does in the 21st century.

**Jacques Tati directing M.Hulot’s Holiday (1953).**

In particular it his first two films Jour de Fête (1949) and Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953) that strike a continuing – possibly nostalgic – cord.

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*Michelin France Grandes routes*, 1973 edition. With grateful acknowledgement to Michelin.

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Jour de Fête (1949)

**The Old Lady and her goat in the Place du Marche, *Jour de Fete*. The film was shot in Sainte Sévère in the Indre department in central France.**

**Sainte Sévère, central France, location of *Jour de Fete*. Grateful acknowledgement to Michelin.**

**Saint Sévère, location of *Jour de Fete*. Grateful acknowledgement to Michelin**.

**Jacques Tati and the camera crew setting up, Sainte Sévère, 1949.**

Showing in the cinema tent the modern methods of *La Post en Amerique.*

Outside the village bar, *Jour de Fete.*

**Jacques Tati and camera crew at Sainte Sévère. *Jour de Fete*, 1949.**

**The Fair tractor enters the village square along with excited village children. *Jour de Fete* 1949.**

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Pour La Poste

**Sainte Sévère postcard, circa 1930s. “Vue prise de la Route de Boussac”**

**Sainte Sévère and to the south south east, Boussac on the N 717. Grateful acknowledgement to Michelin.**

**Sainte Sévère postcard, circa 1940s.**

**Sainte Sévère postcard, circa 1970s.**

**Sainte Sévère postcard, circa 1990s.**

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Et Maintenant?

Despite a declining population – (1946: 1,135; 2009 (last published figure) 851) – Sainte Sévère still has a post office. The bar in the market square has gone, but there is a restaurant elsewhere in the village that seems to be popular with passing through tourists. Sainte Sévère also has a filling station, a ladies hairdressers, a boulangerie, a butchers and a school. It also now has a little museum dedicated to Jour de Fête and Jacques Tati.

**La Poste, Sainte Sévère. Google street view, 2013. Acknowledgement Google**

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Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953)

Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot

**Jacques Tati lining up a shot on location in Saint-Marc-sur-Mer, location of Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday.**

**Location of Saint-Marc-sur-Mer. 1973 Michelin map. Grateful acknowledgement Michelin.**

**Nathalie Pascaud with clapperboard, Saint-Marc-sur-Mer, on location for *Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday*.**

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Carte Postale

**Saint-Marc-sur-Mer, 1930s. Note “X” on the hotel, and middle top window.**

**Greetings from the occupant of the middle upstairs hotel room of the Hotel de la Plage. 1930s.**

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Et Maintenant?

The Hotel de la Plage is now the Best Western Hotel de la Plage. The rooms have flat screen TVs, free Wi-Fi and there is a business lounge. The restaurant is now called La Plage M.Hulot.

Positive views amongst UK visitors to the Best Western Hotel de la Plage recorded on the hotel site include

– Could hear the waves as we lay in bed at night

-Location is excellent, right on the beach.

-Architecturally interesting in that the original character has mostly been preserved.

Average 3 star ratings reviewers on Trip Advisor complained that there was no aircon, that there was no hot breakfast, that you couldn’t get a beer at 5 pm, that the exterior needed a paint, that the room was cramped and small, and that the place needed a modern eye to overhaul it.

Eh bien…

Au Revoir, Monsieur Hulot.

Jacques Tati’s grave in Saint-German-en-Laye, near Paris. Sophie was his second daughter. Jacques Tati’s full name was Jacques Tatischeff. Photo, with grateful acknowledgement, Daniel Timothy, 2008. *Source* findagrave.com

Saint-German-en-Laye postcard, posted in 1911. The then modern French aeroplane has been added in the publishers photographic darkroom. Many French postcards of this time had planes added by postcard publishers to empty skies. Jacques Tati was 4 years old when this card was posted in his town.

Jacques Tati 1907 – 1982.

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