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Pasha's Wives

Original title: L'esclave blanche
  • 19391939
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
54
YOUR RATING
Pasha's Wives (1939)
  • Comedy
  • Drama
Mireille, a Frenchwoman, has married a westernized Turkish diplomat. Thinking that she will live a dream life in an Arabian Nights setting, she accepts to follow Vedad Bey, her husband, to h... Read allMireille, a Frenchwoman, has married a westernized Turkish diplomat. Thinking that she will live a dream life in an Arabian Nights setting, she accepts to follow Vedad Bey, her husband, to his native country. An unfortunate choice indeed as Turkey is not the way she pictured it. ... Read allMireille, a Frenchwoman, has married a westernized Turkish diplomat. Thinking that she will live a dream life in an Arabian Nights setting, she accepts to follow Vedad Bey, her husband, to his native country. An unfortunate choice indeed as Turkey is not the way she pictured it. Tradition rules the Turkish society and Mireille just cannot be a free woman any longer. T... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
54
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Marc Sorkin
    • Georg Wilhelm Pabst(supervision)
  • Writers
    • Lilo Dammert(screenplay)
    • Léo Lania(screenplay)
    • Ákos Tolnay(story)
  • Stars
    • Viviane Romance
    • John Lodge
    • Marcel Dalio
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Marc Sorkin
    • Georg Wilhelm Pabst(supervision)
  • Writers
    • Lilo Dammert(screenplay)
    • Léo Lania(screenplay)
    • Ákos Tolnay(story)
  • Stars
    • Viviane Romance
    • John Lodge
    • Marcel Dalio
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1User review
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Pasha's Wives (1939)
    Pasha's Wives (1939)
    Viviane Romance in Pasha's Wives (1939)
    Marcel Dalio and Viviane Romance in Pasha's Wives (1939)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Viviane Romance
    Viviane Romance
    • Mireilleas Mireille
    John Lodge
    John Lodge
    • Vedad Beyas Vedad Bey
    Marcel Dalio
    Marcel Dalio
    • Le sultan Solimanas Le sultan Soliman
    Sylvie
    Sylvie
    • Safète - la mère de Vedadas Safète - la mère de Vedad
    Mila Parély
    • Tarkineas Tarkine
    • (as Mila Parely)
    Paulette Pax
    • L'amie de Safèteas L'amie de Safète
    Marcel Lupovici
    Marcel Lupovici
    • Mouradas Mourad
    • (as Lupovici)
    Roger Blin
    • Maïras Maïr
    • (as R. Blin)
    Odile Pascal
    • Akilé, la soeur de Mouradas Akilé, la soeur de Mourad
    Joe Alex
    • Alias Ali
    • (as Joë Alex)
    Jacques Mattler
    • Un conseilleras Un conseiller
    • (as J. Mattler)
    Edmond Castel
      Louise Carletti
      Louise Carletti
      • Sheylaas Sheyla
      Saturnin Fabre
      Saturnin Fabre
      • Djemal Pachaas Djemal Pacha
      Pierre de Ramey
      Pierre de Ramey
      Nicolas Amato
      • Un voyageuras Un voyageur
      • (uncredited)
      Gaby André
      Gaby André
      • Une femme du haremas Une femme du harem
      • (uncredited)
      Léon Brizard
      • Un voyageur turcas Un voyageur turc
      • (uncredited)
      • Directors
        • Marc Sorkin
        • Georg Wilhelm Pabst(supervision)
      • Writers
        • Lilo Dammert(screenplay)
        • Léo Lania(screenplay)
        • Ákos Tolnay(story)
      • All cast & crew
      • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        Finnish censorship visa register # 022557.
      • Connections
        Featured in La fin des Ottomans: Les nations contre l'Empire (2016)

      User reviews1

      Review
      Top review
      Mardi Gras
      There is a warning before the cast and credits :the movie does not depict historic events in case the viewer should take it seriously!Although made by an unknown French director,it was supervised by Pabst ,and it should be considered a very entertaining film,devoid of any substance and which is sometimes unintentionally hilarious.

      A Turkish politician comes back to his native land with his French wife,Mireille,who thinks she will live a life in a setting like something from the Arabian Nights.She was probably not very smart when she got married because Turkey was not exactly the place where a wife was "free" .Her mother-in-law ("your son has always talked about you,I'm so happy to meet you,I hope we'll be very good friends ,blah blah ") is true to herself that is to say to traditions : a woman must obey her husband ,the kid sister (fourteen years old) is going to marry the pasha who could be her great grand father ,and there's worse: the young husband is presented with a second wife and Mireille is not prepared to accept it! "Those European women!how hard it is to understand their attitude!" moan the Turks.

      It looks like "never without my daughter" sometimes,but without a daughter.The cast are incredible: the husband is played by an American (John Lodge) and all the other roles are played by French actors :Sylvie as the matronly mom-in-law and Saturnin Fabre as the pasha with a harem of hundreds are worth the price of admission.Dalio (hardly recognizable)plays the part of a ridiculous sultan fond of pets ("it's a mongrel" says the French woman );the scene when he 's afraid of electricity and shoots out the lights is the "peak" ,so to speak.

      Viviane Romance is Mireille,the "modern" French girl ,lost in a land where a woman is not allowed to be "modern".Hence the title which means "White Slave" .A very attractive woman,vamp style,she was lucky enough to be directed by Duvivier ("LA Belle Equipe " and "Panique" ,her best part)and Grémillon ("L'Etrange Monsieur Victor" ).
      helpful•2
      3
      • dbdumonteil
      • Feb 16, 2011

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • February 18, 1939 (France)
      • Country of origin
        • France
      • Language
        • French
      • Also known as
        • Bela robinja
      • Filming locations
        • Studios Pathé Cinéma, Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne, France
      • Production company
        • Lucia Film
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 38 minutes
      • Color
        • Black and White
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.37 : 1

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