The Story of Adele H. (1975) on Netflix
PG19751h 36mBiographyDramaHistory
Halifax, 1863. A young Frenchwoman using the name Miss Lewly arrives alone and seeks out Lieutenant Albert Pinson, the British officer she loves. He will not open her letter.
- Netflix4.1/5
- IMDb7.2/1010,044 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes93%
Trailer
Plot summary
In 1863, Halifax holds British troops, and a young Frenchwoman steps off a ship and rides into town. She gives her name as Miss Lewly and takes a room at the lodging house of Mr. and Mrs. Saunders. She is Adèle Hugo, the second daughter of Victor Hugo, and she has crossed the ocean for Lieutenant Albert Pinson. She asks a notary where to find him and spots him in a bookshop. Mr. Saunders, bound for a military dinner, carries her love letter to Pinson, who does not open it.
Cast
- Louise Bourdetas Victor Hugo's servant
- Cecil De Sausmarezas Mr. Lenoir
- Ruben Doreyas Mr. Saunders
- Clive Gillinghamas Keaton
- Roger Martinas Doctor Murdock
- M. Whiteas Colonel White
- Madame Louiseas Madame Baa
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Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Story of Adele H. (1975)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Isabelle Adjani's performance as Adèle Hugo earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, making her, at age 20, the youngest Best Actress nominee ever at the time.
- François Truffaut fell for Isabelle Adjani during the Guernsey shoot, but she rebuffed his advances. She disliked rehearsing, and filming in Guernsey was an intense emotional experience for most of the crew.
- Isabelle Adjani was under contract to the Comédie-Française as a stage actress when Truffaut cast her, and the company refused to release her. After a legal dispute she was able to play the part.
- François Truffaut had once promised the role of Adèle to Catherine Deneuve and screen-tested Stacey Tendeter, but cast Isabelle Adjani after seeing her in La Gifle (1974) and on stage.
- Truffaut had to get the rights from Jean Hugo, Victor Hugo's direct descendant, who gave his consent after reading a treatment, on the condition that Victor Hugo did not appear on screen.
- Scenes set in Halifax were mainly interiors built in a house in St. Peter Port, Guernsey, and no filming took place in Halifax; the Barbados scenes were shot on the island of Gorée off the coast of Senegal.
