José Ferrer
Cyrano de Bergerac
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Synopsis
Cyrano can defeat an opponent with either a sword or a perfectly chosen phrase, yet he cannot tell Roxane that he loves her. When she becomes interested in a handsome soldier who struggles to express himself, Cyrano supplies the words. The arrangement brings him close to her while making his own voice harder for her to recognize.
Cast
DirectorsMichael Gordon
Inspirations
The screenplay uses Brian Hooker's English translation of Edmond Rostand's play. José Ferrer had already played Cyrano on Broadway and television, bringing an established interpretation to the first English-language film version.
Behind the scenes
An extended rehearsal period preceded a thirty-day shoot. Movable sets reduced the space and time needed for scene changes, making a large theatrical world practical for a relatively economical production.
Reception and legacy
Ferrer won the Academy Award for Best Actor. The film was selected for the United States National Film Registry in 2022, recognising a lasting significance beyond its original release.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- José Ferrer — Press photo · Public domain
- Mala Powers — Bureau of Industrial Service. This was a division of ad agency Young & Rubicam which was widely used by those in the television industry for distributing publicity material. · Public domain
- William Prince — NBC Television · Public domain
- Morris Carnovsky — Los Angeles Times · CC BY 4.0
