Joy House (1964) aka The Love Cage aka Les Félins coming from Kino

[whiteberry]

French Title: Les Félins
U.S. English Title: Joy House
International English Title: The Love Cage

Coming Soon on Blu-ray!
2K Restoration by Gaumont!

Joy House (1964) Les Félins | The Love Cage – Starring Alain Delon, Jane Fonda, Lola Albright, Carl Studer, Sorrell Booke & George Gaynes – Shot by Henri Decaë (The Sicilian Clan) – Music by Lalo Schifrin (Prime Cut) – Directed by René Clément (Forbidden Games, Purple Noon, Rider on the Rain, And Hope to Die).

https://www.facebook.com/KinoLorberS...4496516607212/

French Trailer
With English subtitles:

Les Felins - René Clément - Alain Delon - Jane Fonda - YouTube

It is also available at IMDb in slightly better quality:
https://www.imdb.com/video/vi3431383577/

Newspaper Advertisement

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/34652/photos/56036

Soundtrack
The score was by Lalo Schifrin and has been released on CD:
https://www.discogs.com/master/63501...e-René-Clément



DVDs
It had two U.S. DVD releases. Image (containing the English version) and Koch Lorber (containing both the English and French versions):
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDRe...les_felins.htm

Blu-ray
Gaumont released it on blu-ray in 2020. It has the English language track and English subtitles for the French language track. Here is review of it in French:
https://www.cinefaniac.fr/dvd/test-1...néclément.html

The movie was shot in English so the “dub” for this movie is actually the French language track.

Behind The Scenes

1. In 1964, MGM released a promotional behind the scenes short film titled “Filmmaking On The Riviera”. It has aired on TCM in the past (it was last shown in 2021). A short clip from it is currently on YouTube:
   
   LES FÉLINS (JOY HOUSE): Behind the Scenes - Alain Delon and Jane Fonda - YouTube
   
   The entire short film can be found on the Dr. Macro website:
   https://www.doctormacro.com/Movie%20...M%20Shorts.htm
   
   Search for “Filmmaking on the Riviera” on the above page and then click the link.
   
   
2. A French TV interview with Jane Fonda in French on the set of the movie (the first comment on the following YouTube video has an English translation of the interview):
   
   
   Jane Fonda - Interview (1963) - YouTube
   
   A slightly longer version of the same interview is available at the INA website:
   https://www.ina.fr/ina-eclaire-actu/...d-actrice-avec
   
   The INA website has another behind the scenes video from French TV. It features a hairstyle test with Jane and director René Clément and an interview with Jane in French:
   https://www.ina.fr/ina-eclaire-actu/...-de-jane-fonda

[DukeTogo84]

Never knew the English audio was the correct way to watch this as I thought the French actors were speaking French. Either way, I hope both cuts are included.

[RDA]

Irrespective of how it was shot, the French audio version includes French and English dialogue and makes far more sense in terms of the story than the English audio version imo. I would not say that the English audio is the correct way to watch the film. Hopefully the Kino blu-ray includes both audio versions though...

[RiFiFi1955]

Kino has been quiet on this one. Wonder where they are at

[whiteberry]

Originally Posted by Kino Lorber Insider

Coming May 23rd!
https://kinolorber.com/product/joy-house-1

JOY HOUSE (1964)
• 2K Restoration by Gaumont
• NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson
• Includes Both the English and French Audio Tracks
• Theatrical Trailer
• Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase
• Reversible Art
• Optional English Subtitles

B&W 97 Minutes 2.35:1 Not Rated
A scorching love triangle ignites between the iconic Jane Fonda (Klute, Coming Home), sultry Lola Albright (Kid Galahad, Lord Love a Duck) and Alain Delon (The Sicilian Clan, Un Flic) in René Clément’s Joy House (Les Félins). Delon stars as Marc, a dashing young con man on the run from the mob. After seeking refuge in the Riviera villa of the widowed Barbara (Albright) and her curvaceous cousin, Melinda (Fonda), Marc becomes trapped in the passionate snares of both women, who are full of sinister surprises. A neglected masterpiece from director René Clément (Forbidden Games, Is Paris Burning?, Rider on the Rain, And Hope to Die), Joy House weaves a wicked web of hidden desires and all-too-human corruptions. Lalo Schifrin (Coogan’s Bluff) provides the eerie musical score; Henri Decaë (Le Samouraï) serves up the sumptuous cinematography. Joy House also known as The Love Cage features wonderful supporting performances by Sorrell Booke (Boss Hogg of TV’s The Dukes of Hazzard) and George Gaynes (Commandant Lassard of the Police Academy film series).

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...ostcount=82091

[silverlakephil]

I love Jimmy Smith's version of the theme music:

�LES FELINS】ALAIN DELON / Clips & Music (Theme from Joy House) - YouTube

From the clips, I can tell Alain Delon and Jane Fonda have great chemistry.

[ZzZzZzZ]

Love the film. This should be a huge upgrade from the old DVD

[Dark_Vader]

Curious as to why Warner Archive didn't release this themselves as the film is a 1964 MGM release.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by Dark_Vader

Curious as to why Warner Archive didn't release this themselves as the film is a 1964 MGM release.

It's with Gaumont now.

[Dark_Vader]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

It's with Gaumont now.

Oh, that's interesting. It must have been a negative pick-up by MGM.

[NeoNical]

For those who have gotten this release, how is the A/V like on this? The Blu-ray has a pretty cool poster for a slipcover

[titch]

Originally Posted by NeoNical

For those who have gotten this release, how is the A/V like on this? The Blu-ray has a pretty cool poster for a slipcover

There is both an English track and a French track, with optional English subtitles. Either one is fully acceptable, since it is an additional bit of fun to listen to Fonda do her lines in French (Delon's English is a little weaker). The music may be pushed a little loud at times, but it still sounds fantastic on the monophonic audio track and the dialogue is clear on either option. The image has no story markings and the contrasts are reasonably clear.

[KrugerIndustrial]

Site review:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Joy-H...319659/#Review

[RiFiFi1955]

Originally Posted by KrugerIndustrial

Site review:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Joy-H...319659/#Review

Ouch!!! Haven't gotten around to watching my copy yet.

[Mose Harper]

I ordered a copy in the sale yesterday, but hadn't recalled the poor technical review.

It's funny that cine-savant gave the visual presentation high marks, but found the narrative disappointing in that it offered no sympathetic characters.

The review here gives the technical presentation low marks, but the movie itself a fairly high recommendation.

The screencaps look disappointingly milky (I doubt I would have picked out the chroma noise in motion). I'm hoping some changes in the pic settings of my PJ will let me dial that image in to something more watchable.

[Mushi Minion]

I legitimately can't see what the issues are in those screencaps, but I'll take your word for it.

[KrugerIndustrial]

I read the review before placing the order yesterday. The screenshots look disappointing, but not unwatchable. This seems to be a good film, and I doubt we will see a better release anytime soon. So I think it is still worth it at that sale price.