HEARTBEAT

Original French 23 1/2 inch x 31 3/4 inch Poster for the 1938 Marcel Pagnol Comedy LE SCHPOUNTZ (HEARTBEAT) starring Fernandel, Orane Demazis and Fernand Charpin.

Poster art by Toe.

”Le Schpountz” takes its title from a Slavic word used by Pagnol’s cameraman, Willy Faktorovitch, to describe anyone crazy about movies though possibly sane in all other respects. The ”schpountz” of ”Le Schpountz” is the horsefaced Fernandel, playing a small-town grocer in the South of France who is convinced that he has a calling to become a great tragic movie actor.

He only too willingly becomes the butt of a practical joke perpetrated by a visiting film crew. They sign him up to a phony contract and invite him to Paris to make his debut. The grocer goes to Paris with the predictable twist-results. He becomes a great star, though of comedy not tragedy.

The poster is in very good folded condition with very minor edge wear.