The Light Across the Street

The Light Across the Street is a 1956 French crime drama film directed by Georges Lacombe and starring Raymond Pellegrin, Roger Pigaut and Brigitte Bardot. It was also distributed in the U.S. under the title Female and the Flesh.

Plot

Sensual young Brigitte Bardot and her infirm husband run a small trucker restaurant in this Clouzot- influenced melodrama, before you can say The Postman Always Rings Twice, Brigitte feels attracted to a mechanic from the garage opposite

Cast

Raymond Pellegrin as Georges Marceau
Roger Pigaut as Piétri
Brigitte Bardot as Olivia Marceau
Claude Romain as Barbette
Jean Debucourt as Professor Nieumer
Antonin Berval as Albert
Daniel Ceccaldi as L'amoureux en panne
Guy Piérauld as Antoine
Lucien Hubert as Gaspard
Guy Pierauld as Antoine

Production

Filming took place in August 1955.

Reception

Variety wrote "Though soberly recounted, this rarely gets to the core of the subject. Except for Raymond Pellegrin as the crazed driver, it is ordinarily acted. It goes in for some erotic byplay. Otherwise, it does not have the substance for art houses. Brigitte Bardot looks well but her acting does not equal her physical attributes. Direction, lensing and editing shape as only adequate with exterior settings lending some good production and documentary flavor."