For June we are looking at the films of Otto Preminger, who enjoyed a career in Hollywood spanning five decades. Across nearly 40 feature films, Preminger displayed virtuosity in many genres (film noir, historical epics, courtroom dramas, musicals) and came to be known for pushing boundaries of what was deemed acceptable at a time when Hollywood needed it the most. Whether casting Frank Sinatra as a drug addict (The Man with the Golden Arm, 1955), giving a screen credit to blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo (Exodus, 1960), or acting under Billy Wilder for Stalag 17 (1953) or as Mr. Freeze in the 60s TV show Batman with Adam West, Preminger could be relied upon to be up to something interesting.

Bonjour Tristesse (Otto Preminger, 1958, USA/United Kingdom, 94 minutes)

Credited with funneling 19-year-old lead actress Jean Seberg directly into her iconic role in Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless two years later, Preminger was here giving a second chance to the young Iowan actress who played his Joan of Arc in the ill-fated Saint Joan in 1957. Better suited to Bonjour Tristesse’s role of the spoiled rich girl Cécile, daughter of the enablingly rich Raymond (David Niven), Seberg’s career was in many ways born with this film. Based on the novel by Françoise Sagan, who was just 18 when it was published, and featuring the legendary Juliette Gréco in a quick on-screen appearance.

Bonjour Tristesse is available to rent digitally on most platforms for $3-4.

With a free post-film discussion on June 17 at 7:00 p.m. from Victor Putinier, PhD student in French Language and Literature at Washington University in St. Louis.

Register for this Zoom event here.