Mon Oncle

After starting with views of a construction site where cold and featureless buildings are being erected, the titles move into an older part of the city. The corner of Rue de Paris and Rue de la Procession in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Île-de-France.

The same corner. (PW)

Dogs begin to gather in the streets, sniffing around the rubbish bins. Looking along Rue du Four towards the junction of Avenue Pasteur and Avenue Marinville from the southern side of Place Place d'Armes, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés.

Changes are apparent in this street level shot. (PW)

A Rag & Bone Man climbs aboard his loaded cart. Opposite L'église Saint-Nicolas on Rue du Four.

The area has been given over to the restaurant next door. (PW)

The cart is driven away to a factory in a newer part of the city where the rubbish and scrap will be turned into plastic. The corner of Rue du Four and Avenue Mahieu at Place de l'Église in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés.

A small rond-point now occupies the centre of the wide road. (PW)

Madame Arpel (Adrienne Servantie) sees her husband Charles (Jean-Pierre Zola) off to work. Villa Arpel was a set constructed at Studios de La Victorine in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes.

The materialistic housewife watches as Monsieur Arpel drives away in his Oldsmobile 88 with their son Gérard. Part of the set at Studios de La Victorine.

When his father stops outside the school, Gérard Arpel (Alain Bécourt) gets out of the car and runs into the building.

Monsieur Arpel arrives at the factory where he works as a manager. Filming also took place at a plant located near the River Marne in Créteil.

The Rag & Bone Man returns to the old neighbourhood where a market is taking place. Rue du Four in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Val-de-Marne with Place d'Armes to the left.

Looking in the same direction on a very rainy day. (PW)

With a fish head sticking out of his shopping bag, Monsieur Hulot (Jacques Tati) leaves the market and returns home. Place d'Armes, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés 94100.

This is what lies beyond M. Hulot's apartment block. (PW)

Monsieur Hulot makes his way through a maze of stairs and corridors to reach his top floor apartment. This building was a set erected in front of Lycée Teilhard de Chardin next to Rue de la Procession on the north side of Place d'Armes.

Without the set. (PW)

A Road Sweeper (André Dino) attempts to talk with Monsieur Hulot as he hurries to meet his nephew from school. All of these buildings on Rue du Four still stand . . . .

. . . . as can be seen in this comparison. (PW)

Passing through crumbling buildings, Monsieur Hulot makes his way towards the more modern part of the city. Remembering reading that filming took place in Créteil in Val-de-Marne, close to Saint-Maur and the studio at Joinville-le-Pont, Patrick Lavelli took a look at the apartments around the boundaries of Parc and found that this is the junction of Rue de Bretagne and Rue d'Anjou viewed from near the corner of Rue Maurice Déménitroux.

After being met by his uncle, Gérard runs off to play with other boys.

At the factory, Monsieur Arpel secures a job for his unemployed brother-in-law.

When Charles calls about the new position, Monsieur Hulot rides away on his motorised bicycle leaving the telephone receiver swinging. Looking into Place d'Armes from the café.

Taken from a similar position. (PW)

Monsieur Hulot arrives at the factory and walks through spilled white paint before entering the building.

Parking his VéloSoleX, Monsieur Hulot arrives at his sister's house to collect his nephew. The Villa Arpel set was demolished after filming was completed.

Gérard rides pillion on his uncle's motorised bicycle. Rue du Four at the south side of Place d'Armes in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés.

Looking across to number 40 Rue du Four, currently occupied by La Fabrique. (PW)

The camera pans as the riders continue along Rue du Four at the south side of Place d'Armes.

Cars have taken over the street. (PW)

On a street corner, naughty boys set up a prank to catch a shopkeeper. The film was shot over several months and this appears is the redressed Chez Margot café at the corner of Rue des Tournelles and Place d'Armes.

Not quite the correct angle as it was cold and wet with traffic approaching from behind. (PW)

The Shopkeeper is soaked after being called outside by the boys just as a truck drives through the puddle. Looking along Rue des Tournelles. The building in the right distance remained standing until the 2010s when it was demolished to make way for an apartment block.

The building may have gone but it's still visible in this 2012 capture from Google Streetview ©.

While his uncle is distracted, Gérard follows the boys onto waste ground. Roland-François Lack advises that in Jean-Philippe Guérand's book on Tati, mention is made of locations in the Nanterre and Pantin suburbs of Paris.

For another prank, one of the boys whistles which causes a pedestrian to suddenly look round and walk into a lamp post. The street sign reads Rue Vincent.

Bets are taken and coins are won and lost as passers by are either caught out, or not.

It's Sunday in the old district. The tower of L'église Saint-Nicolas de Saint-Maur-des-Fosses.

The church tower is hidden by the maturing trees. (PW)

Everyone is dressed in their best clothes. Looking towards Place d'Armes from Rue du Four.

Parked cars now occupy the small square in front of the church. (PW)

Two boys fight in the street. Looking from Rue du Four across Place d'Armes in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés with a wall and doorway of the Teilhard De Chardin school visible in the left background.

The school in the background proves the location. (PW)

Outside the café, Monsieur Hulot returns a snooker ball after a player's shot sends it into the street. Place d'Armes in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés.

No buildings at the corner now. (PW)

The Fruiterer drives off to make a delivery to the Arpel's who are holding a garden party for their friends.

The same background seen from Place d'Armes over sixty years later. (PW)

Monsieur Hulot comes out of the café before making his way to the Arpel's garden party. This row of buildings next to the Teilhard De Chardin private school has since been demolished . . .

. . . but the schools distinctive wall remains. (PW)

The Fruiterer arrives at the Arpel's to make his delivery. A replica of La Villa Arpel was constructed at the Cent Quatre in Paris during 2009.

When he makes a bad batch of plastic hose at the factory, Monsieur Hulot makes his way to the river during darkness to dump the evidence. Looking up from the portal to the south of the entrance to the Saint-Maur canal tunnel in Joinville-le-Pont.

The coiled hose splashes into the water below which makes two lovers think that someone is committing suicide. This tunnel leads to Joinville-le-Pont water treatment works and runs parallel to the 597m long Saint-Maur canal tunnel.

Helped by the Young Woman, her Boyfriend climbs out of the river after discovering the plastic hose. The portal adjacent to the northern entrance of Le tunnel-canal Saint-Maur. The canal links the River Marne with itself to avoid a circuitous journey around the river's loop.

The angry Young Man chases after Monsieur Hulot. Above the canal and waterworks tunnel entrances near Avenue Molette in Joinville-le-Pont.

For their wedding anniversary, Monsieur and Madame Arpel visit a night club.

In his brand new Chevrolet Bel Air, Charles and his son make their way to Monsieur Hulot's apartment through streets that are beginning to be torn down.

The Street Sweeper pauses as the shiny new car passes. Looking along Rue de Four from Place d'Armes with Place de l'Église in the distance.

I think I prefer it without the cars cluttering up the view. (PW)

Gérard gets out of the car to fetch his uncle. In front of the huge apartment block set with Rue de la Procession to the right.

Alterations are apparent in the right background. (PW)

With Gérard back in the car with Monsieur Hulot, Charles drives away. Place d'Armes in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés with St. Nicolas Church to the left.

The west end of Église Saint-Nicolas de Saint-Maur-des-Fossés. (PW)

Demolition continues as Monsieur Hulot is carried from the old quarter.

At the airport, Monsieur Hulot gets out of the car and joins the 'rat race' of people entering the terminal.

Monsieur Arpel whistles to attract his brother-in-law's attention . . . which causes a passer by to walk into a post, making Gérard laugh and hold his fathers hand.

Two Motorcycle Officers look to the sky as a noisy plane takes off.

A dog runs through modern high rise blocks. Rue d'Anjou as it curves away from Rue de Bretagne in Créteil located by Patrick Lavelli.

The animal reaches the old part of town where he joins other dogs. The corner of Rue du Four and Rue de Paris in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés.

One of the trees appears to have been replaced by a charging point. (PW)

The dogs roam through the now deserted market square. Looking towards from Place d'Armes from Rue du Four in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Île-de-France, France. The square is currently given over to car parking.

Despite conversion to a car park and the lack of any recognisable buildings, the now more mature trees stand to identify the same location. (PW)