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Drama

The End of the Day (1939): Cast & Plot

The End of the Day (1939) movie poster

The End of the Day is a 1939 drama directed by Julien Duvivier, starring Robert Ozanne as Administrator of the retirement home, Louis Jouvet and Gaston Modot. It runs 1 hour 39 minutes.

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Read the plot summary
The End of the Day (1939) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 39m (99 min)
Director
Julien Duvivier
Genre
Drama
Original language
French
Studio
Regina Films
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The End of the Day About?

The premise of The End of the Day without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A group of elderly actors live together in a retirement home, recalling past triumphs and failures. Their routine is upended when star Raphael Saint‑Clair, once celebrated for his talent and notorious affairs, arrives. Old passions flare and jealousies surface, making it a bitter meditation on aging, lost glory, and the dark side of showbiz.

The End of the Day Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • south of france
  • reference to alexandre dumas
  • theater performance
  • theater
  • theater actress
  • theater actor
  • struggling actor
  • retired actor
  • retirement
  • ex actor
  • ageing
  • feeling old
+38 more
  • getting old
  • reference to sarah bernhardt
  • womanizer
  • heartbreaker
  • broken heart
  • bitterness
  • bitter man
  • bitter woman
  • reference to alfred de musset
  • reference to shakespeare's romeo and juliet
  • unmarried couple
  • gambler
  • casino
  • roulette
  • elderly couple
  • wedding ceremony
  • theatrical three blows
  • reference to edmond rostand
  • love letter
  • memory lapse
  • reference to don juan the play
  • reading of a last will and testament
  • funeral
  • theater troupe
  • understudy
  • eulogy
  • bouquet of flowers
  • rivalry
  • cafe waitress
  • crotchety old man
  • seduction game
  • retirement home
  • financial difficulty
  • boy scout
  • stage performance
  • old age
  • male bonding
  • common law marriage
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Cast & crew

The End of the Day Cast & Characters

Robert Ozanne leads the cast as Administrator of the retirement home, with Louis Jouvet as Raphaël Saint-Clair, former Don Juan and adored actor and Gaston Modot as Monsieur Martin, owner of the bistro. Directed by Julien Duvivier; 60 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The End of the Day

· 56 more
Show all 60 cast members
From the director

More from Julien Duvivier

More films directed by Julien Duvivier: Pépé le Moko (re-release), Diabolically Yours, Highway Pick-Up and The Devil and the Ten Commandments.

Full filmography
Plot

The End of the Day Plot Summary

What happens in The End of the Day from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Monsieur St. Clair, Louis Jouvet, an aging romantic leading man, has decided to retire from the stage, but he is broke and ends up at an old-age home for elderly actors. There he meets a circle of former stars who know each other from decades of shared stages and seasons, each bearing proudly his own quirks and disappointments. Among them is Gilles Marny, Victor Francen, a melancholy soul whose fame never matched the brilliance he reserved for the boards, and Ernest Cabrissade, Michel Simon, a mischievous, free-spirited understudy who reveled in practical jokes and defied every rule the staff laid down.

Full summary

The whole story of The End of the Day, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The End of the Day?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which actor portrays the aging romantic lead who decides to retire from the stage?
Details

The End of the Day Also Known As

8 alternative titles, including “Lebensabend” and “I prigionieri del sogno”.

Also known as
  • Lebensabend
  • I prigionieri del sogno
  • Конец дня
  • 穷途末路
  • 하루의 끝
  • El fin del día
  • El final del dia
  • Konec dne

Seen The End of the Day?
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Movies Like The End of the Day

Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The End of the World, The End (fragments artificiels de l’espèce humaine) and The End of the Affair.

FAQ

The End of the Day FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of The End of the Day, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The End of the Day?

The End of the Day runs 1 hour 39 minutes (99 minutes).

When was The End of the Day released?

The End of the Day was released on March 24, 1939.

Who directed The End of the Day?

The End of the Day was directed by Julien Duvivier.

More films by Julien Duvivier

Who is in the cast of The End of the Day?

The End of the Day stars Robert Ozanne as Administrator of the retirement home, Louis Jouvet as Raphaël Saint-Clair, former Don Juan and adored actor and Gaston Modot as Monsieur Martin, owner of the bistro, among 60 credited actors.

Does The End of the Day have a post-credit scene?

No. The End of the Day has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is The End of the Day in?

The original language of The End of the Day is French.

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