À nous les petites Anglaises drew five million seven hundred thousand cinema-goers in 1976 and fixed his name. He worked the same vein, the French summer comedy, with L'Hôtel de la plage and Le Cadeau, before moving to television films and never returning to the big screen.
The story
Five million seven hundred thousand tickets: À nous les petites Anglaises, in 1976, was one of the decade's great successes and the film that made the name of its director, Michel Lang.
Born in Paris on 9 June 1939, schooled at the lycée Chaptal, a degree in American literature from the Sorbonne behind him, then the IDHEC film school and years as an assistant director, Michel Lang worked the same vein ever after — the gentle, popular French summer comedy — with Une fille cousue de fil blanc in 1977, L'Hôtel de la plage in 1978 and Le Cadeau in 1982.
After a last feature in 1987 he turned to television films and worked there to the end, never returning to the big screen. He died at Saint-Arnoult, in Normandy, on 24 April 2014, of Alzheimer's disease.
His grave in Division 90 bears five names, the oldest of them — Jules Monte, who died in 1919 — two generations before him. His own gives the double trade, “scénariste, réalisateur”, screenwriter and director, and not one film title.
The grave
A family grave of five inscriptions, the oldest of which precede the filmmaker by two generations: “Jules MONTE, 1862-1919”, “Angèle MONTE, 1878-1954”, “Henri LANG, 1902-1988”, “Suzanne LANG, 1906-1983”. His own gives the double profession: “Michel LANG, 1939-2014, scénariste, réalisateur” — screenwriter, director. Not one film title — not even the one that filled the cinemas with five million seven hundred thousand spectators.
On site, do not miss
Five names on the stone, the oldest going back to 1919. The filmmaker's gives his double profession: “Michel LANG, 1939-2014, scénariste, réalisateur” — screenwriter, director.
Visitors' questions
Where is Michel Lang's grave?
In Division 90, Avenue Transversale No. 2, seventh row, in a family grave bearing five names, among them Jules Monte, who died in 1919 — two generations before him. His own line reads “scénariste, réalisateur”, screenwriter and director, without naming a single film.
Émile WaldteufelWhat was Michel Lang's big hit?
À nous les petites Anglaises, in 1976: five million seven hundred thousand tickets sold. The film fixed his name and his register — the gentle, popular French summer comedy, which he went on to repeat with L'Hôtel de la plage and Le Cadeau.
Madame SaquiWhat other films did he make?
Une fille cousue de fil blanc (1977), L'Hôtel de la plage (1978) and Le Cadeau (1982). In the mid-1980s he moved into television films, where he worked to the end of his career, never returning to the big screen.
Nina CompaneezWhat did Michel Lang die of?
Of Alzheimer's disease, on 24 April 2014, at Saint-Arnoult in Normandy. He was seventy-four and had not directed for several years. He rests in his family's grave, in Division 90.
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