The Music Master (1945 film)

The Music Master
Theatrical release poster
FrenchLe Père Chopin
Directed byFedor Ozep
Written byBella Daniel
Jean Desprez
Produced byCharles Philipp
StarringMadeleine Ozeray
Marcel Chabrier
Pierre Durand
François Rozet
CinematographyDon Malkames
Edited byGeorges Freedland
Music byRudolph Goehr
Production
company
Renaissance Films
Release date
  • April 19, 1945 (1945-04-19)
Running time
108 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageFrench
Budget$250,000

The Music Master (French: Le Père Chopin) is a Canadian drama film, directed by Fedor Ozep and released in 1945.[1] The first full-length feature film ever produced by a commercial studio in Quebec and the first film in Canada's post-World War II "boom" in filmmaking,[2] the film's main characters are estranged brothers Paul (Marcel Chabrier) and Pierre (Pierre Durand) Dupont, who emigrated to Quebec from France in their youth; Paul has grown up to be a church organist, of modest means but beloved by his family and community, while Pierre has become a wealthy businessman, but is unmarried and isolated.[3] The film's plot centres on their reunion for the first time since going their separate ways to pursue their different dreams.[4]

The cast also includes Madeleine Ozeray, Janine Sutto, Guy Mauffette, Pierre Dagenais, François Rozet, Ginette Letondal, Albert Duquesne, Ovila Légaré, Louis Rolland, J. Léo Gagnon, Paul Guèvremont, Jeanne Maubourg, Fannie Tremblay, Lise Roy, Jean Lajeunesse, Conrad Gauthier and Roland D'Amour.

The film premiered on April 14, 1945 at the Théâtre Saint-Denis in Montreal.[4] Although well-received, the film did face some minor criticism for the fact that its dialogue was spoken in a Continental French rather than a Quebec French accent.[4]

Joseph-Alexandre DeSève [fr] purchased Renaissance Films following the success of the film.[5]

Production

The film had a budget of $250,000 (equivalent to $4,269,022 in 2023).[5]

References

  1. ^ Pratley 2003, p. 168.
  2. ^ Janine Marchessault and Will Straw, The Oxford Handbook of Canadian Cinema. Oxford University Press, 2019. ISBN 9780190933159.
  3. ^ Ramond, Charles-Henri (December 2, 2013). "Père Chopin, Le – Film de Fedor Ozep". Films du Québec (in French). Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Whittaker, Herbert (April 21, 1945). ""'Le Père Chopin' Arrives: First Quebec-made Feature Length Film Seen in Premiere Here"". The Gazette. p. 22. Retrieved December 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b Melnyk 2004, p. 80.

Works cited