Summary: The English-language version (commentary by Noel Coward) of the film record shot by Resistance cameramen of the Paris uprising against the departing Germans in August 1944.
Description: The film, like the events it documents, lacks cohesion, but the topics covered in most detail or most often are: the occupation of the Police Headquarters and Hotel de Ville (Flouret, Stephane) and the establishment of 'liberated' communications etc; streetfighting in the city centre and other districts (Batignolles, etc); attacks on German vehicles (many French tanks in use by Germans); Resistance Red Cross workers tend wounded of both sides; building of barricades; vehicles and weapons are captured; Germans, collaborators Lauzanne and (Devise ?), and women "horizontal" collaborators are rounded up; a German atrocity discovered at Romainville; the arrival of Leclerc's troops, fighting at the Telephone Exchange, Hotel Majestic, Etoile etc and German surrender; De Gaulle's arrival in Paris (speech excerpt); Allies welcomed as liberators; de Gaulle's victory parade. Noel Coward's commentary seeks mainly to adopt the triumphant/retributive attitude of Parisians, but includes mention of his own pleasure at Paris's liberation.
Production Details: Liberation Committee of the French Cinema (Production sponsor)
Coward, Noel Peirce18991973British playwright, composer and actor. (Production cast)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Devise (person)
Flouret (person)
Gaulle, Charles André Joseph Marie de (person)
Lauzanne, Stephane (person)
Leclerc, Philippe (person)
Stephane (?) (person)
Free French Forces (regiment/service)
Forces Francaises de l'Interieur (regiment/service)
French Red Cross (regiment/service)
Keywords: casualties, Allied wounded (object name)
casualties, German wounded (object name)
celebrations, French - liberation: Paris (object name)
ceremonies, French - display: victory parade (object name)
combat, Allied (object name)
combat, French - irregular (object name)
law and order, French - detention: collaborators (object name)
medical, French civilian - emergency: First Aid (object name)
operations, Allied military - sortie (object name)
prisoners of war, German - surrender (object name)
Paris, Département de Ville de Paris, France (geography)
Romainville, Seine-Saint-Denis, France (geography)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 3
Footage: 3072 ft; Running time: 35 mins
