Léo Joannon

Directing

Léo Joannon

Born — Died

1904-08-21 — 1969-03-28

Place of birth

Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Known for

Directing

Credits

50 titles

Léo Joannon (21 August 1904 – 28 March 1969) was a French writer and film director. Born in Aix-en-Provence, Joannon was originally a law student who became a novelist and journalist before entering the film industry in the 1920s as a cameraman. Joannon first attracted international attention in early 1939 during the production of S.O.S. Mediterranean, when his attempts to include shots of a German naval ship docked in the port of Tangier created a diplomatic incident between the pre-World War II French and German governments. The film later won the Grand Prix du Cinema Français. Joannon is best known to international audiences as the director of the comedy film Atoll K (1951), which was t…

Known for

Film credits

1950s · 5 titles

Sister Angele's Secret poster
9.0

A young novitiate witnesses a murder. Later, she recognizes the culprit, who admits to the killing; the sister works to convince him to turn himself in to the police.

Sister Angele's Secret

1956

The Desert of Pigalle poster
4.7

A young priest works as a barman in a Pigalle cafe in Paris. He tries to prevent the women there to prostitute themselves....

The Desert of Pigalle

1958

A Girl in a Pocket poster
5.0

A professor experimenting in suspended animation accidentally shrinks his dog and later, his female lab assistant, when she drinks the liquid by accident and shrinks to 3 inches tall. The professor keeps her in his pocket until he can find an antidote. Sometimes she's naked, too.

A Girl in a Pocket

1957

The Aristocrats poster
6.7

A novel by Michel De Saint Pierre was the source for Les Aristocrates. Pierre Fresnay stars an aging Marquis, who tries his best to uphold the traditions of nobility in an ever-changing world. The Marquis' children prefer the trappings of modern society and pop culture and regard their father as a relic. This cultural clash nearly results in tragedy when two of the Marquis' offspring substitute recklessness for common sense.

The Aristocrats

1955

L'Homme aux clés d'or poster
5.8

Antoine Fournier, a language teacher at a secondary school in Lille, was disgraced by four young men he had caught stealing money from a charity collection. Dismissed from the teaching profession, Fournier found a job as a porter in a Monte Carlo palace through his wartime friend Ansaldi. A few years later, when he became the first concierge, the "man with the golden keys", chance brought him into the presence of the young men, married but as Machiavellian as ever. He won't take revenge on them, but their baser instincts will.

L'Homme aux clés d'or

1956

Series credits

Behind the camera

The Seven Deadly Sins poster
6.0

A compilation of segments covers the seven deadly sins of greed, wrath, envy, pride, lust, sloth, and gluttony.

The Seven Deadly Sins

1952

The Rebels of Lomanach poster
5.6

A young woman has a perilous affair with a General from the opposing side during the Revolutionary war.

The Rebels of Lomanach

1954

Amazons of Rome poster
4.8

Marching down the Italian peninsula to sack ancient Rome, Etruscan warrior Drusco instead offers to hold back his onslaught if the Romans hand over hostages, including Clelia, the sexy leader of a clan of woman warriors. But before long, intrigue and betrayal unravel the fragile peace. Directors Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia and Vittorio Cottafavi helm this vintage sword-and-sandal epic.

Amazons of Rome

1961

Lovers of Paris poster
6.1

Young, handsome, dashing but cynical, Octave Mouret arrives in Paris, determined to conquer the belles of the capital.

Lovers of Paris

1957

Robinson Crusoeland poster
5.6

Stan and Ollie are marooned on an island in the south pacific ocean.

Robinson Crusoeland

1951

Mais n'te promène donc pas toute nue poster
7.0

A deputy with higher political aspirations is annoyed that, as visitors come to see him, his wife insists on staying in her nightie because it is such a hot day.

Mais n'te promène donc pas toute nue

1936

Sister Angele's Secret poster
9.0

A young novitiate witnesses a murder. Later, she recognizes the culprit, who admits to the killing; the sister works to convince him to turn himself in to the police.

Sister Angele's Secret

1956

Sister Angele's Secret poster
9.0

A young novitiate witnesses a murder. Later, she recognizes the culprit, who admits to the killing; the sister works to convince him to turn himself in to the police.

Sister Angele's Secret

1956

The Desert of Pigalle poster
4.7

A young priest works as a barman in a Pigalle cafe in Paris. He tries to prevent the women there to prostitute themselves....

The Desert of Pigalle

1958

Klokslag twaalf poster
6.5

On his wedding day, mere hours before the statute of limitations for his crimes expires, revengeful mobsters abduct former criminal Jean Verdier. The gang leader's daughter - who's still in love with Jean - tries to stall the police until the clock strikes twelve and he can no longer be prosecuted.

Klokslag twaalf

1936

Confessions of a Newlywed poster
5.5

A timid young man marries the daughter of the entomologist he works for. On the train for their honeymoon, he takes his young wife in his arms when a customs officer suddenly enters the compartment. The groom is now inhibited.

Confessions of a Newlywed

1937

The Unfrocked One poster
5.4

Pierre Fresnay plays the title character in Le Defroque (The Defrocked One). Cast out by his church, former priest Maurice (Fresnay) delights in mocking the traditions and credos of Catholicism. Even so, young Gerard (Pierre Trabaud) becomes convinced that Maurice has never truly lost his calling. Becoming a priest himself, Gerard devotes his life to bringing Maurice back into the fold. Things don't turn out quite as Gerard hopes, however; he has not reckoned with the possibility that Maurice may have been driven into insanity by his raging self-hatred.

The Unfrocked One

1954

The Unfrocked One poster
5.4

Pierre Fresnay plays the title character in Le Defroque (The Defrocked One). Cast out by his church, former priest Maurice (Fresnay) delights in mocking the traditions and credos of Catholicism. Even so, young Gerard (Pierre Trabaud) becomes convinced that Maurice has never truly lost his calling. Becoming a priest himself, Gerard devotes his life to bringing Maurice back into the fold. Things don't turn out quite as Gerard hopes, however; he has not reckoned with the possibility that Maurice may have been driven into insanity by his raging self-hatred.

The Unfrocked One

1954

L'Homme sans cœur poster
7.0

Sentenced to 20 years after killing a colleague for revealing that his wife was unfaithful, Sourdier escapes hoping to kill the woman as well.He learns she was true to him and has had a little girl who thinks the father is dead.

L'Homme sans cœur

1937

Children of Chaos poster
5.6

An officer, two of his comrades and a social worker want to create the "Carrefour", a place for lost children and teens to give them a chance not to fall by the wayside and spend most of their life in jail.

Children of Chaos

1944

Three Disordered Children poster
5.3

A man falsely recognize two teenagers and one child as his own children in order to avoid jail so his life becomes more and more chaotic.

Three Disordered Children

1966

Three Disordered Children poster
5.3

A man falsely recognize two teenagers and one child as his own children in order to avoid jail so his life becomes more and more chaotic.

Three Disordered Children

1966

Assassin in the Phonebook poster
6.3

Fernandel plays Albert, the unhappy brunt of jokes by his fellow office-workers who goes from the frying pan into the fire. Albert gets caught up in a robbery that also goes from bad to worse when it leads to several murders. Although he is not a killer and essentially innocent, there does not seem to be very much that Albert can do to convince others of the truth.

Assassin in the Phonebook

1962

What a Funny Kid! poster
6.7

Lucie turns the house of chic dandy Gaston upside down.

What a Funny Kid!

1935

Les Arnaud poster
5.0

In the sunny landscapes of Provence, Henri Arnaud is a conscientious law student who's got a lovely girlfriend, Tina. The person who used to pay for his studies dies and the poor young man's disposable funds are low. He asks an antique dealer if he can lend him some money. This shady guy agrees, but in return for homosexual relations. Henri kills him and runs away. Fortunately, a good judge, who bears the same name as him, comes to his rescue.

Les Arnaud

1967

Les Arnaud poster
5.0

In the sunny landscapes of Provence, Henri Arnaud is a conscientious law student who's got a lovely girlfriend, Tina. The person who used to pay for his studies dies and the poor young man's disposable funds are low. He asks an antique dealer if he can lend him some money. This shady guy agrees, but in return for homosexual relations. Henri kills him and runs away. Fortunately, a good judge, who bears the same name as him, comes to his rescue.

Les Arnaud

1967

So Much Love Lost poster
8.0

Here's a railway station. Next to it, there's generally a town; and in a town,there is love! The train arrives. Mr. Andrieu is expecting his sardines and both his daughters, back from winter sports.

So Much Love Lost

1958

So Much Love Lost poster
8.0

Here's a railway station. Next to it, there's generally a town; and in a town,there is love! The train arrives. Mr. Andrieu is expecting his sardines and both his daughters, back from winter sports.

So Much Love Lost

1958

Les Conquêtes de César poster
NR

For still being a bachelor at an "advanced" age, César is the laughing stock of the neighborhood. Determined to change things, César goes in search of hearts to take.

Les Conquêtes de César

1936

L'Homme aux clés d'or poster
5.8

Antoine Fournier, a language teacher at a secondary school in Lille, was disgraced by four young men he had caught stealing money from a charity collection. Dismissed from the teaching profession, Fournier found a job as a porter in a Monte Carlo palace through his wartime friend Ansaldi. A few years later, when he became the first concierge, the "man with the golden keys", chance brought him into the presence of the young men, married but as Machiavellian as ever. He won't take revenge on them, but their baser instincts will.

L'Homme aux clés d'or

1956

L'Homme aux clés d'or poster
5.8

Antoine Fournier, a language teacher at a secondary school in Lille, was disgraced by four young men he had caught stealing money from a charity collection. Dismissed from the teaching profession, Fournier found a job as a porter in a Monte Carlo palace through his wartime friend Ansaldi. A few years later, when he became the first concierge, the "man with the golden keys", chance brought him into the presence of the young men, married but as Machiavellian as ever. He won't take revenge on them, but their baser instincts will.

L'Homme aux clés d'or

1956

The Emigrant poster
7.0

Fearing a gangster's vengeance,his moll sails away to South Africa ,where many emigrants intend to work in the mines there.

The Emigrant

1940

The Emigrant poster
7.0

Fearing a gangster's vengeance,his moll sails away to South Africa ,where many emigrants intend to work in the mines there.

The Emigrant

1940

We Found a Naked Woman poster
5.7

A young aristocrat whose ruined father decided to marry her spends one last night as a bachelor at the boarding school ball. But there, cheerful students strip her of her clothes and she finds refuge precisely with her future husband whom she did not know. Of course, the marriage that was so repugnant to them fills them with joy.

We Found a Naked Woman

1934

600,000 francs per month poster
10.0

A disillusioned rich American bets with a railroad worker that the latter will not be able to spend the 600,000 francs a month that he will pay him for a year. All the railwayman's attempts to win his bet fail but his daughter luckily conquers the American.

600,000 francs per month

1933

S.O.S. Mediterranean poster
6.2

The scene of action embraces Tangier, Toulon and the Mediterranean, where Pierre Fresnay, Rolf Wanka and Kim Peacock, cast as captains of French, German and English boats, respectively, unite to rescue the passengers of a neutral boat that is about to be engulfed in a cloud of poison smoke released by a smuggling ship.

S.O.S. Mediterranean

1938

Casta diva poster
7.3

As soon as he graduated from the Naples Conservatory, Vincenzo Bellini meets Maddalena Fumaroli and immediately falls in love with her.

Casta diva

1954

Whims poster
6.4

Caprices tells the story of two young rich people. A famous actress poses as a poor florist, and a distinguished society man camouflages himself as forger and swindler. This game leads them to make close relations in a series of adventures.

Whims

1942

Whims poster
6.4

Caprices tells the story of two young rich people. A famous actress poses as a poor florist, and a distinguished society man camouflages himself as forger and swindler. This game leads them to make close relations in a series of adventures.

Whims

1942

No artwork available
9.0

A young mechanic is given a strange job: to convey the king of the gypsies' embalmed dead body on a very long route.

The White Truck

1943

Outpost in Indo-china poster
6.8

A refugee crisis in Vietnam occurs which complicates an French army captain's primary mission of securing a fort.

Outpost in Indo-china

1963

No artwork available
7.0

Lucrèce, a famous actress, is bothered first, then flattered by the passionate testimonies of love given to her by François, a 12th grade student infatuated with her. Taking pity on the boy, Lucrèce decides to heal him of his madness and with this in mind she invites him for a working holiday on her farm. Instead, she falls in love with the cherub. At a time, her young lover grows so jealous of her that he attempts suicide. The mature actress then understands that their love story is going nowhere. She will remain alone while François will forget her.

Lucrèce

1943

Secret Documents poster
9.0

An adventure between rival spies about documents concerning the process for extracting fuel from seawater. A love story that threatens to turn tragic, since the young woman enlisted by force in the network of doctor Morenius falls in love of her rival before returning, triumphant, to her fiancé.

Secret Documents

1945

Le Chanteur de minuit poster
9.0

Jean Bonnefoy, who has a talent for singing, is unemployed. So he is very happy the day he is offered a post as a music teacher in a college for young women. But he soon realizes the job is only a mixed blessing as a group of girls have set about making life tough for him. Among them is Anny Laforcade, a student who finally changes sides, taking pity on her teacher and falling in love with him. At one point, Jean meets Zébulon, a talent agent who decides to launch his singing career. Zébulon has a far-fetched idea: He asks Anny to disappear for a few days thus making people believe that she has committed suicide out of love for Jean. The latter, who is not aware of the scheme, is devastated.

Le Chanteur de minuit

1937

Excursion Train poster
6.5

Marguerite and Verdurin, both employed in l'Atout Prix, a store run by Prosper Biscoton, would like to take a vacation at the beach, but they need more money than they earn. They decide to trick their boss into paying for the trip by pretending Marguerite is interested in him. Biscoton falls in the trap and puts himself in a difficult position with his own wife.

Excursion Train

1936