Once Upon a Time (1933 film)
Once Upon a Time (French: Il était une fois) is a 1933 French drama film directed by Léonce Perret. It stars Gaby Morlay, André Luguet and Andrée Ducret and was produced by Bernard Natan and Emile Natan for Pathé-Natan. The film was released on 6 October 1933 in France and is in French.
The movie is based on a play by Francis de Croisset. It was filmed at the Joinville Studios in Paris, with sets designed by art director Guy de Gastyne. Some actors in the film reprised the same stage roles they played in the original production (Max, Mauloy, Dubosc, Bara).
Critics noted that the film touches on the conflict between theatre technicians and film studio technicians. It was not as successful as the play, nor as some later screen versions of the story, such as Molander’s and Cukor’s.
Cinematography was by Victor Arménise. The music was composed by Marcel Delannoy and Maurice Thiriet. The production company was Pathé-Natan, and it was distributed by Pathé Consortium Cinéma.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 06:07 (CET).