Review of the film Retour à l'aube (1938)

Film Synopsis

Anita, a charming young Hungarian peasant girl, is married to Karl Ammer, the stationmaster at Thaya, a peaceful little village where nothing of the remotest interest ever happens.  Bored by her life, Anita dreams of what it must be like to live in Budapest.  One day, her dream comes true when she is invited to the city to attend her aunt's funeral and claim a small inheritance.  Anita is so enchanted by the distractions the city has to offer that she misses her return train.  She consoles herself by  buying a luxurious dress with half of the money she has inherited.  Transformed by the dress, she immediately attracts the attention of men.  Osten, a businessman, invites her to dinner, but Anita loses her temper when he tries to take advantage of her.  She leaves the restaurant in the company of Dick Farmer, a man she saw earlier on the train, but he turns out to be the head of a gang of crooks that is being watched by the police.  When Dick is arrested, Anita is mistaken for his accomplice...

© James Travers

The above content is owned by frenchfilms.org and must not be copied.

• Director: Henri Decoin
• Script: Vicki Baum, Henri Decoin, Pierre Wolff
• Cinematographer: Léonce-Henri Burel
• Music: Paul Misraki
• Cast: Raymond Cordy (Pali), Danielle Darrieux (Anita), Marcel Delaître (Le commissaire), Jacques Dumesnil (Keith), Marcelle Barry, Amy Collin, Thérèse Dorny, Pierre Dux, Samson Fainsilber, Louis Florencie, Pierre Mingand, André Numès Fils, Yvonne Yma
• Country: France
• Language: French
• Support: Black and White
• Runtime: 90 min
• Aka: She Returned at Dawn