1976, Film and Television Awards: 1st César Awards

César du meilleur film (Best Film)
Winner: Le Vieux Fusil (Robert Enrico)

Le Vieux Fusil Poster

Nominees:

• Cousin, Cousine (Jean-Charles Tacchella)
• Que la fête commence (Bertrand Tavernier)
• Sept morts sur ordonnance (Jacques Rouffio)

César du meilleur film étranger (Best Foreign Film)
Winner: Profumo di donna (Dino Risi)

Profumo di donna Poster

Nominees:

• Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (Werner Herzog)
• Trollflöjten (Ingmar Bergman)
• Nashville (Robert Altman)

César de la meilleure actrice (Best Actress)
Winner: Romy Schneider as Nadine Chevalier in L'important c'est d'aimer

Romy Schneider as Nadine Chevalier

Nominees:

• Isabelle Adjani as Adèle Hugo in L'Histoire d'Adèle H.
• Catherine Deneuve as Nelly Ratabou in Le Sauvage
• Delphine Seyrig as Anne-Marie Stretter in India Song

César du meilleur acteur (Best Actor)
Winner: Philippe Noiret as Julien Dandieu in Le Vieux Fusil

Philippe Noiret as Julien Dandieu

Nominees:

• Gérard Depardieu as Jean-Pierre Berg in Sept morts sur ordonnance
• Victor Lanoux as Ludovic in Cousin, Cousine
• Jean-Pierre Marielle as Henri Serein in Les Galettes de Pont-Aven

César de la meilleure actrice dans un second rôle (Best Actress in a Supporting Role)
Winner: Marie-France Pisier as Karine dans Cousin, Cousine and Régina in Souvenirs d'en France

Marie-France Pisier as Karine

Marie-France Pisier as Régina

Nominees:

• Isabelle Huppert as The Young Aloïse in Aloïse
• Andréa Ferréol as Mme Licquois in Les Galettes de Pont-Aven
• Christine Pascal as Émilie in Que la fête commence

César du meilleur acteur dans un second rôle (Best Actor in a Supporting Role)
Winner: Jean Rochefort as l'abbé Dubois in Que la fête commence

Jean Rochefort as l'abbé Dubois

Nominees:

• Victor Lanoux as Pierre Lardatte in Adieu poulet
• Patrick Dewaere as Lefèvre in Adieu poulet
• Jean Bouise as François in Le Vieux Fusil

César du meilleur réalisateur (Best Director)
Winner: Bertrand Tavernier: Que la fête commence

Que la fête commence Poster

Nominees:

• François Truffaut: L'Histoire d'Adèle H.
• Robert Enrico: Le Vieux Fusil
• Jean-Paul Rappeneau: Le Sauvage

César du meilleur scénario original ou adaptation (Best Screenplay)
Winner: Bertrand Tavernier and Jean Aurenche with Que la fête commence

Que la fête commence Poster

Nominees:

• Georges Conchon and Jacques Rouffio: Sept morts sur ordonnance
• Robert Enrico and Pascal Jardin: Le Vieux Fusil
• Jean-Charles Tacchella: Cousin, Cousine

César de la meilleure musique écrite pour un film (Best Music)
Winner: François de Roubaix: Le Vieux Fusil

Le Vieux Fusil Poster

Nominees:

• Carlos d'Alessio: India Song
• Philippe d'Orléans and Antoine Duhamel: Que la fête commence
• Paul de Senneville and Olivier Toussaint: Un linceul n'a pas de poches

César du meilleur son (Best Sound)
Winner: Nara Kollery and Luc Perini: Black Moon

Black Moon Poster

Nominees:

• Harald Maury and Harrick Maury: Hu-Man
• Michel Vionnet: India Song
• Bernard Aubouy: Le Vieux Fusil

César de la meilleure photographie (Best Cinematography)
Winner: Sven Nykvist: Black Moon

Black Moon Poster

Nominees:

• Étienne Becker: Le Vieux Fusil
• Pierre Lhomme: La Chair de l'orchidée
• Pierre Lhomme: Le Sauvage

César du meilleur montage (Best Editing)
Winner: Geneviève Winding: Sept morts sur ordonnance

Sept morts sur ordonnance Poster

Nominees:

• Christiane Lack: L'important c'est d'aimer
• Jean Ravel: Adieu poulet
• Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte: Le Sauvage
• Eva Zora: Le Vieux Fusil

César des meilleurs décors (Best Production Design)
Winner: Pierre Guffroy: Que la fête commence

Que la fête commence Poster

Nominees:

• Jean-Pierre Kohut-Svelko: L'Histoire d'Adèle H.
• Jean-Pierre Kohut-Svelko: L'important c'est d'aimer
• Richard Peduzzi: La Chair de l'orchidée

César d'honneur (Honorary César)
Ingrid Bergman
Diana Ross

Ingrid Bergman, Claude Brialy and Diana Ross.

1974, Film: Murder on the Orient Express

The British thriller "Murder on the Orient Express" premiered on 21 November 1974. Directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Paul Dehn, the film is based on Agatha Christie's 1934 novel of the same name. The music was composed by Richard Rodney Bennett.

The film features an all-star cast, with Albert Finney as the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot; Martin Balsam as the railway director, Bianchi; Richard Widmark as the American business tycoon Ratchett; Lauren Bacall as Mrs. Harriet Belinda Hubbard; Ingrid Bergman as Greta Ohlsson; Sean Connery as Lt. Colonel John Arbuthnott; John Gielgud as Edward Beddoes; Jean-Pierre Cassel as Pierre Paul Michel; Vanessa Redgrave as Mary Debenham; Michael York as Count Rudolf Andrenyi; Rachel Roberts as Hildegarde Schmidt; Jacqueline Bisset as Countess Helena Andrenyi; Anthony Perkins as Hector McQueen; Denis Quilley as Gino Foscarelli; Colin Blakely as Cyrus B. Hardman; and Wendy Hiller as Princess Natalia Dragomiroff.  

Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot

Anthony Perkins as Hector McQueen and Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot

Lauren Bacall as Mrs. Harriet Belinda Hubbard

Ingrid Bergman as Greta Ohlsson

Jacqueline Bisset as Countess Helena Andrenyi

Synopsis
Unexpectedly returning to England from Istanbul, the famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) finds himself traveling aboard the Orient Express. One of the passengers (Richard Widmark) approaches him, claiming to have received anonymous threats and asking Poirot to act as his bodyguard. Poirot declines the request. However, when the man is found stabbed to death the next morning, it becomes clear that the threats were real. As Poirot begins to question the passengers on the train, he discovers that several of them share a mysterious connection—and gradually, he begins to unravel the truth behind a remarkably complex crime…

Colin Blakely as Cyrus B. Hardman

Jean-Pierre Cassel as Pierre Paul Michel

John Gielgud as Edward Beddoes

Sean Connery as Lt. Colonel John Arbuthnott and Vanessa Redgrave as Mary Debenham

Denis Quilley as Gino Foscarelli

Main cast

• Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot
• Lauren Bacall as Mrs. Harriet Belinda Hubbard
• Martin Balsam as Bianchi
• Ingrid Bergman as Greta Ohlsson
• Jacqueline Bisset as Countess Helena Andrenyi
• Jean-Pierre Cassel as Pierre Paul Michel
• Sean Connery as Lt. Colonel John Arbuthnott
• John Gielgud as Edward Beddoes
• Wendy Hiller as Princess Natalia Dragomiroff
• Anthony Perkins as Hector McQueen
• Vanessa Redgrave as Mary Debenham
• Rachel Roberts as Hildegarde Schmidt
• Richard Widmark as Ratchett
• Michael York as Count Rudolf Andrenyi
• Colin Blakely as Cyrus B. Hardman
• George Coulouris as Dr. Stavros Constantine
• Denis Quilley as Gino Foscarelli
• Vernon Dobtcheff as Concierge
• Jeremy Lloyd as A.D.C.
• John Moffatt as Chief Attendant

Vanessa Redgrave as Mary Debenham

Richard Widmark as Ratchett

Wendy Hiller as Princess Natalia Dragomiroff

Michael York as Count Rudolf Andrenyi

Trivia

• 84-year-old Dame Agatha Christie attended the premiere of the film. It was the only adaptation made during her lifetime with which she was completely satisfied. The premiere marked her final public appearance. She died fourteen months later, on 12 January 1976.
• Ingrid Bergman was initially offered the role of Princess Dragomiroff, but instead requested to play the smaller role of Greta Ohlsson.

Sean Connery as Lt. Colonel John Arbuthnott

Rachel Roberts as Hildegarde Schmidt

Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot and Jeremy Lloyd as A.D.C.

Martin Balsam as Bianchi, Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot and
George Coulouris as Dr. Stavros Constantine

 

Awards

• 1975, Academy Awards (USA), Best Supporting Actress: Ingrid Bergman
• 1975, BAFTA Awards (UK), Best Supporting Actor: John Gielgud
• 1975, BAFTA Awards (UK), Best Supporting Actress: Ingrid Bergman
• 1975, BAFTA Awards (UK), Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music: Richard Rodney Bennett
• 1975, Evening Standard British Film Awards (UK), Best Film: Sidney Lumet
• 1975, Evening Standard British Film Awards (UK), Best Actor: Albert Finney
• 1975, Evening Standard British Film Awards (UK), Best Actress: Wendy Hiller
• 1975, Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards (UK): Best British Screenplay: Paul Dehn

Trailer

1975, Film and Television Awards: British Academy Awards (BAFTAs)

Best Film
Winner: 'Lacombe, Lucien'

Poster 'Lacombe, Lucien'

Nominees:

• 'Chinatown'
• 'The Last Detail'
• 'Murder on the Orient Express'

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Winner:  Jack Nicholson  as J.J. "Jake" Gittes in  'Chinatown' and as Signalman 1st Class Billy "Badass" Buddusky in 'The Last Detail'

Jack Nicholson  as J.J. "Jake" Gittes in  'Chinatown'

Nominees:

• Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot in 'Murder on the Orient Express'
• Al Pacino as Frank Serpico in 'Serpico'
• Gene Hackman as Harry Caul in 'The Conversation'

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Winner:  Joanne Woodward as Rita Walden in 'Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams'

Joanne Woodward as Rita Walden in 'Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams'

Nominees:

• Barbra Streisand as Katie Morosky in 'The Way We Were'
• Cicely Tyson as Jane Pittman in 'The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman'
• Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Cross Mulwray in 'Chinatown'

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner: John Gielgud as Edward Beddoes in 'Murder on the Orient Express'

John Gielgud as Edward Beddoes in 'Murder on the Orient Express'

Nominees:

• Adam Faith as Mike Menary in 'Stardust'
• John Huston as Noah Cross in 'Chinatown'
• Randy Quaid as Seaman Larry Meadows in 'The Last Detail'

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner: Ingrid Bergman as Greta Ohlsson in 'Murder on the Orient Express'

Ingrid Bergman as Greta Ohlsson in 'Murder on the Orient Express'

Nominees:

• Cindy Williams as Laurie Henderson in 'American Graffiti'
• Sylvia Sidney as Mrs. Pritchett in 'Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams'
• Sylvia Syms as Margaret Stephenson in 'The Tamarind Seed'

Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles
Winner: Georgina Hale as Alma Mahler in 'Mahler'

Georgina Hale as Alma Mahler in 'Mahler'

Nominees:

• Cleavon Little as Sheriff Bart in 'Blazing Saddles'
• Sissy Spacek as Holly Sargis in 'Badlands'

Best Screenplay
Winner: Robert Towne for 'Chinatown' and  'The Last Detail'

Poster 'Chinatown'

Poster 'The Last Detail'

Nominees:

• Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor and Alan Uger: 'Blazing Saddles'
• Francis Ford Coppola: 'The Conversation'
• Louis Malle and Patrick Modiano: 'Lacombe, Lucien'

Best Direction
Winner: Roman Polanski for 'Chinatown'

Poster 'Chinatown'

Nominees:

• Francis Ford Coppola for 'The Conversation'
• Louis Malle for 'Lacombe, Lucien'
• Sidney Lumet for 'Murder on the Orient Express'
• Sidney Lumet for 'Serpico'

Best Cinematography
Winner: Douglas Slocombe for 'The Great Gatsby'

Poster 'The Great Gatsby'

Nominees:

• John A. Alonzo: 'Chinatown'
• Geoffrey Unsworth: 'Murder on the Orient Express'
• David Watkin: 'The Three Musketeers'
• Geoffrey Unsworth: 'Zardoz'