Gigi (1949 film)

Gigi is a 1949 French comedy film directed by Jacqueline Audry and starring Gaby Morlay, Jean Tissier and Yvonne de Bray. A young lady (Daniélle Delorme) who is coming of age and being trained as a courtesan by her family, and realises she not only adores the debonair, close family friend Gaston, who has spoiled her with attention and care for most of her life (played beautifully by Franck Villard), but that she is in love with him. Gaston realises the same thing, and despite efforts of Gigi´s down-to-earth, doting Grandmother and charming, socialite Aunt to bring the couple together by the then socially accepted practice, it is the undeniable and compelling love between Gigi and Gaston that triumphs above all. Beautifully directed by Jacqueline Audry, who accentuates the brilliant humor of this piece without losing the utterly remarkable sensitivity of the young love that takes center stage. The film was based on the novella Gigi written by Colette.

A better-known version of the Gigi story, starring Leslie Caron, was filmed in 1958. The 1949 film is included as an extra on the 2008 2-disc DVD and 2009 Blu-ray Disc versions of the 1958 film.

The story begins in 1900 fin de siecle Paris, through the eyes of the elderly Honoré LaChaille, who is a man who knows how to fully appreciate beauty, as he is watching the wonderfully untouched and lively sixteen-year-old school girl Gilberte "Gigi" Alvarez. Gigi happens to be the young ward and grand daughter of Honoré's old friend and amorous acquaintance, the elegant Mme. Alvarez.

Honoré's nephew, an arbiter elegantarium brat named Gaston LaChaille, is the center of the Paris social life and the rich heir to the sugar throne of France. Bored with the tedious social life, Gaston finds peace and quiet only in the humble apartment of Mme. Alvarez, where he pays his visits on a regular basis.

Gigi is equally bored with her situation, since she is being thoroughly educated in the fine art of social etiquette, culture and all the finer things in life that ordinary men without means never would come close to. She doesn't comprehend the usefulness of all this peculiar information and skills, but both her grandmother and her strict great-aunt Alicia insist she comply with their education and that she soon will discover its meaningful purposes. Alicia tells Gigi that everything in life of importance, even love, has to be learned as an art form.

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