Merlusse


Merlusse is a 1935 French comedy drama film written and directed by Marcel Pagnol and starring Henri Poupon, André Pollack and Annie Toinon. It was shot at the Lycée Thiers in Marseille, which Pagnol had himself once attended. It should not be confused with the Merlusse fairy, a depiction of Melusine in the Vosges.
The film was remade in 2023 by the American director Alexander Payne as The Holdovers.

Synopsis

A tough teacher charged with looking after the students left behind at a boarding school during the Christmas holidays rises to the challenge and comes to better understand the boys in his care.

Cast

Writing for The Spectator in 1936, Graham Greene gave the film a good review, describing it simply as "a slightly sentimental tale". Greene praises Poupon in his portrayal of Merlusse, and expresses admiration for Pagnol's "simpleness, directness".