Discover the Hidden Gem Film with Jean Gabin and Michèle Morgan Now Available!

For decades, this film starring Jean Gabin and Michèle Morgan was unviewable, having vanished from public access. However, after a copy was discovered at the Belgrade Cinematheque and restored in 2004 on the centennial of the actor’s birth, it has become accessible once more. Titled “Le Récif de corail,” it is now freely available on the platform France.tv, where viewers can watch it by simply creating an account to access the entire catalog.

A Reunion Just After “Le Quai des brumes”

In Australia, Ted Lennard (played by Gabin) kills a criminal and to evade prosecution, he boards the cargo ship “Portland” headed for Mexico. During a stopover on the idyllic island of Togobu, Lennard falls in love with the place but continues on his journey. Still pursued by the police, he seeks to find his place in the world, possibly alongside Lilian White (played by Morgan), a young woman who, like him, lives on the fringes of society.

Released a year after the iconic “Le Quai des brumes” by Marcel Carné in 1939, “Le Récif de corail” reunites its star duo for a travel and adventure film with shades of noir. Directed by Maurice Gleize—a director largely forgotten today—the project is penned by Charles Spaak based on a novel by Jean Martet.

Screenwriter Charles Spaak was one of Gabin’s most consistent collaborators, having already written for him in “La Bandera,” “La Belle équipe,” “Les Bas-fonds” (1936), “La Grande illusion,” and “Gueule d’amour” (1937). Following “Le Récif de corail,” they would collaborate again on “Remorques” (1941), “La Nuit est mon royaume” (1951), and “Crime et châtiment” (1956).

Speaking of “Remorques,” Gabin and Morgan experienced a brief romance during its filming in 1940, which was disrupted by the German invasion of France and ultimately led to their separation. Their relationship ended definitively after Gabin’s departure to the United States in 1941.