Dear Caroline

Dear Caroline (Caroline chérie)

Movie · 1968 · 4 people

Denys de La Patellière made the historical drama Dear Caroline in 1968, released in French as Caroline chérie and in English as Darling Caroline. A co-production of France, Italy and West Germany, it was shot in French and runs about 89 minutes. It draws its story from Jacques Laurent's novel of the same name, published under the pen name Cécil Saint-Laurent, and Laurent also prepared the screenplay. The novel had already reached the screen in 1951, in a film directed by Richard Pottier with Martine Carol in the lead, which makes the 1968 picture a remake. In Germany it was shown as Schön wie die Sünde.

France Anglade plays Caroline, with Vittorio De Sica and Bernard Blier in major roles. The cast also includes François Guérin, Karin Dor, Charles Aznavour, Jean-Claude Brialy, Giorgio Albertazzi, Françoise Christophe, Gert Fröbe, Isa Miranda and Paola Pitagora, along with André Badin, Béatrice Altariba and Béatrice Costantini.

Filming took place at the Épinay Studios near Paris, in widescreen and Eastmancolor. Art director Jean André designed the sets and Jacques Fonteray the costumes. The world premiere was in Italy on 18 January 1968, and the film opened in West Germany on 22 March 1968.

DirectorDenys de La Patellière

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Through different eyes

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

As a remake of a 1951 adaptation, Dear Caroline is a typical example of the historical costume drama made on the European co-production model: a France, Italy and West Germany partnership that brings names such as Vittorio De Sica, Bernard Blier, Karin Dor and Gert Fröbe into one cast. Having the novelist, Jacques Laurent, write the screenplay himself is an advantage for fidelity to the text. The widescreen Eastmancolor shoot at the Épinay Studios, with Jean André's sets and Jacques Fonteray's costumes, promises a visual spectacle. My reservation: a star cast this crowded often thins out the fabric of the story in co-productions, and about 89 minutes may be tight for a novel adaptation with so many names. Whether Denys de La Patellière strikes that balance is the film's real test.

Action & Thriller Fan Puts pace, tension and set pieces first; little patience for slow drama.

Historical drama, costumes, sets... honestly, not my genre. At around 89 minutes it isn't long, which is a plus. But for someone after action or suspense, it's hard to say how much excitement there will be. The cast is strong: Vittorio De Sica, Charles Aznavour, Gert Fröbe. If you like costume dramas, give it a go; if you want a fast pace, pick another film.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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