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Tit coq

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Tit coq, production still

101 minutes – drama
Language: French
Release date: 1953
Canadian distributor: France Film (Québec)

Tit-Coq is set in Québec in the time leading up to World War Two, and after. Tit-Coq (Gratien Gélinas) is the nickname of a French-Canadian soldier who earned his sobriquet thanks to a lifetime of irreverence and volatility. It means, “Little Rooster.” Essentially, Tit-Coq is an unhappy man and that unhappiness is rooted in the fact of his “illegitimate” birth. But his life changes when he meets and falls in love with Marie-Ange (Monique Miller). When he is sent to fight in Europe, Marie-Ange promises to wait for him, but during the many long and lonely months, she succumbs to pressure from her family and, breaking her promise to wait, she marries an old suitor, the wealthy Leoplod Vermette (Jean Duceppe). Tit-Coq learns of the news as the war ends and is angry, bitter and hurt. When he returns home he sets out to reclaim Marie-Ange, who is still in love with him. Tit-Coq turns to his army padre (Paul Dupuis) for help but he explains the realities of the time: a divorce would be virtually impossible for Marie-Ange and any child she might have as a result of their illicit relationship would be a bastard… like Tit-Coq himself. And so “The Little Rooster” ends the way it begins with Tit-Coq alone in the world. Shot in Montreal between October 13 and November 14, 1952, the film is based on a stage play by Gélinas and it became a huge success in Québec. A subtitled English version did almost as well and Tit-coq was named Film Of the Year at the 1953 Canadian Film Awards.

Tit coq

Crew:

Producer:

Gratien Gélinas

Director:

René Delacroix
Gratien Gélinas

Screenwriter:

Gratien Gélinas

Cinematographer:

Akos Farkas

Editor:

Anton Van de Water
Roger Garand

Composer:

Maurice Blackburn
Morris Davis

Production Designer:

Michel Ambrogi

Costume Designer:

Maggy Ambrogi

Cast: Roles:

Gratien Gélinas
Monique Miller
Paul Dupuis
Jean Duceppe
Amanda Alarie
George Alexander
Fred Barry
Juliette Béliveau
Corinne Conley
Clément Latour
Denise Pelletier
Henri Poitras

Tit-Coq
Marie-Ange
Padre
Leoplod Vermette
Mother Desilets
Camp Commander
Father Desilets
Aunt Clara
Rosie
Jean-Paul Desilets
Germaine
Uncle Alcide