Tintin and the Blue Oranges
Encyclopedia
Tintin and the Blue Oranges (originally Tintin et les oranges bleues) is a 1964 French
film directed by Philippe Condroyer and starring Jean-Pierre Talbot
as Tintin
. It was the second live-action movie, with an original story based on characters from the comic book series The Adventures of Tintin
, written and drawn by the Belgian
artist Hergé
. The accompanying book version is in photos and text rather than the usual comic-book style.
The term "blue orange" is a moderately popular image among the French, and was originally inspired by Paul Éluard
's strange quote "Earth is blue like an orange" as a reference to the colour of the fruit when it rots.
on (B&W) TV broadcasts an appeal to help end world hunger. He receives many letters and parcels and among them a blue orange which can grow in desert conditions (and glows in the dark) from Professor Zalamea, but no letter of explanation. That night, two thieves break into Marlinspike Hall
and steal the blue orange. With no other choice, Calculus with Tintin, the Captain and Snowy go to Valencia (filmed in Burjassot and Játiva).
Arriving, they find he is not present at his hacienda and are met by his cousin. Professor Calculus is kidnapped to help Zalamea perfect the blue oranges which with neutron bombardment can mature in just five days. Unfortunately they taste bitter and salty so are presently no good.
Tintin befriends a local boy who takes him to his gang hideout and he finds out that a boy who was to take the parcel to the Post Office for Zalamea was attacked by a man with a blue dragon tattoo on his hand. Thomson and Thompson
turn up from Interpol, investigating Zalamea’s disappearance and have an unfortunate incident with a bull.
The local boys find Fernando, the man with the tattoo and Tintin and the Captain go to his hotel. Tintin picks the lock and gets into his room, and when Fernando returns, overhears him talking on a radio set to his chief, about a rendézvous. Tintin and the Captain follow Fernando but are knocked unconscious and taken away.
Thomson and Thompson check into a hotel, but are tricked by the villains, who use doubles to coax them from their rooms. Tintin and the Captain revive and find themselves in a grain silo but are rescued by Snowy dropping a rope into it. Back in town, they find themselves pursued by the police, who chase them all around a market. Tintin and Haddock escape thanks to Bianca Castafiore
. After an unexpected visit by a delegation from the visiting Emir of Sakali, Tintin and Haddock meet up again with their young friends. They decide to sneak back into Prof. Zalamea's hacienda to test some new information; that is, the collusion of Esposito (Zalamea's manservant) in the kidnapping. After successfully using animals with pans tied to their tails as a distraction, Tintin & Haddock find a radio identical to Fernando's in Esposito's room, proving his involvement. Haddocks decision to drink Esposito's whisky accidentally leads them to discover Zalamea's secret documents, and his own suspicions about the identity of his enemies.
Back at the villains' hideout, the Professors manage to make a broadcast describing their whereabouts. Esposito hears the broadcast and races off to inform his boss. Luckily, Tintin & Haddock also hear the broadcast and set off in hot pursuit. After a brief struggle, Esposito is overcome but the Professors are nowhere to be found – kidnapped again! The new kidnappers evidently had no use for the Thom(p)son twins, as they are discovered still tied up (much to the Captain's enjoyment). Snowy discovers an agal belonging to one of the Arab kidnappers, and Tintin realises that the rich Emir of Sakali (who had courted Bianca Castafiore earlier in the film) was the same man as the Arab enemy described by Professor Zalamea.
The rich Emir of Sakali’s yacht is moored up at the docks, so Tintin and the Captain try to rescue the Professors. Unfortunately, the Professors have been drugged, and their loud voices raise the alarm and Tintin & Haddock are caught by the Emir. They escape and a fight ensues as a horde of children turn up (warned by Snowy). The villains are thrown in the sea, the Emir is subdued and the police arrive to clean things up.
All turns out well and they are back at Marlinspike Hall for a celebration and photos. It is said that they hope to perfect the oranges within ten years and also to learn to grow wheat, potatoes, eggplants etc. in the desert. Just then the Thom(p)sons turn up in their car, crash and end up in the fountain, to the amusement of all. Greedy dogs eat a THE END sign.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
film directed by Philippe Condroyer and starring Jean-Pierre Talbot
Jean-Pierre Talbot
Jean-Pierre Talbot is a former Belgian actor.A teacher by profession, Talbot was first noted for his physical resemblance to that of Tintin while sports instructor on a beach in Ostend. He was introduced to Hergé who sympathized with him immediately...
as Tintin
Tintin (character)
Tintin is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin, the series of classic Belgian comic books written and illustrated by Hergé. Tintin is the protagonist of the series, a reporter and adventurer who travels around the world with his dog Snowy....
. It was the second live-action movie, with an original story based on characters from the comic book series The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
, written and drawn by the Belgian
Demographics of Belgium
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Belgium, including ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population...
artist Hergé
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi , better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. His best known and most substantial work is the 23 completed comic books in The Adventures of Tintin series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, although he was also...
. The accompanying book version is in photos and text rather than the usual comic-book style.
The term "blue orange" is a moderately popular image among the French, and was originally inspired by Paul Éluard
Paul Éluard
Paul Éluard, born Eugène Émile Paul Grindel , was a French poet who was one of the founders of the surrealist movement.-Biography:...
's strange quote "Earth is blue like an orange" as a reference to the colour of the fruit when it rots.
Plot
Professor CalculusProfessor Calculus
Professor Cuthbert Calculus is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin, the series of classic Belgian comic books written and illustrated by Hergé...
on (B&W) TV broadcasts an appeal to help end world hunger. He receives many letters and parcels and among them a blue orange which can grow in desert conditions (and glows in the dark) from Professor Zalamea, but no letter of explanation. That night, two thieves break into Marlinspike Hall
Marlinspike Hall
Marlinspike Hall is Captain Haddock's country house in Hergé's comic book series The Adventures of Tintin.The hall is modeled after the central section of the Château de Cheverny...
and steal the blue orange. With no other choice, Calculus with Tintin, the Captain and Snowy go to Valencia (filmed in Burjassot and Játiva).
Arriving, they find he is not present at his hacienda and are met by his cousin. Professor Calculus is kidnapped to help Zalamea perfect the blue oranges which with neutron bombardment can mature in just five days. Unfortunately they taste bitter and salty so are presently no good.
Tintin befriends a local boy who takes him to his gang hideout and he finds out that a boy who was to take the parcel to the Post Office for Zalamea was attacked by a man with a blue dragon tattoo on his hand. Thomson and Thompson
Thomson and Thompson
Thomson and Thompson are fictional characters in The Adventures of Tintin, the series of classic Belgian comic books written and illustrated by Hergé. Thomson and Thompson are detectives of Scotland Yard, and are as incompetent as they are necessary comic relief...
turn up from Interpol, investigating Zalamea’s disappearance and have an unfortunate incident with a bull.
The local boys find Fernando, the man with the tattoo and Tintin and the Captain go to his hotel. Tintin picks the lock and gets into his room, and when Fernando returns, overhears him talking on a radio set to his chief, about a rendézvous. Tintin and the Captain follow Fernando but are knocked unconscious and taken away.
Thomson and Thompson check into a hotel, but are tricked by the villains, who use doubles to coax them from their rooms. Tintin and the Captain revive and find themselves in a grain silo but are rescued by Snowy dropping a rope into it. Back in town, they find themselves pursued by the police, who chase them all around a market. Tintin and Haddock escape thanks to Bianca Castafiore
Bianca Castafiore
Bianca Castafiore, the "Milanese Nightingale", is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin, the series of classic Belgian comic books written and illustrated by Hergé...
. After an unexpected visit by a delegation from the visiting Emir of Sakali, Tintin and Haddock meet up again with their young friends. They decide to sneak back into Prof. Zalamea's hacienda to test some new information; that is, the collusion of Esposito (Zalamea's manservant) in the kidnapping. After successfully using animals with pans tied to their tails as a distraction, Tintin & Haddock find a radio identical to Fernando's in Esposito's room, proving his involvement. Haddocks decision to drink Esposito's whisky accidentally leads them to discover Zalamea's secret documents, and his own suspicions about the identity of his enemies.
Back at the villains' hideout, the Professors manage to make a broadcast describing their whereabouts. Esposito hears the broadcast and races off to inform his boss. Luckily, Tintin & Haddock also hear the broadcast and set off in hot pursuit. After a brief struggle, Esposito is overcome but the Professors are nowhere to be found – kidnapped again! The new kidnappers evidently had no use for the Thom(p)son twins, as they are discovered still tied up (much to the Captain's enjoyment). Snowy discovers an agal belonging to one of the Arab kidnappers, and Tintin realises that the rich Emir of Sakali (who had courted Bianca Castafiore earlier in the film) was the same man as the Arab enemy described by Professor Zalamea.
The rich Emir of Sakali’s yacht is moored up at the docks, so Tintin and the Captain try to rescue the Professors. Unfortunately, the Professors have been drugged, and their loud voices raise the alarm and Tintin & Haddock are caught by the Emir. They escape and a fight ensues as a horde of children turn up (warned by Snowy). The villains are thrown in the sea, the Emir is subdued and the police arrive to clean things up.
All turns out well and they are back at Marlinspike Hall for a celebration and photos. It is said that they hope to perfect the oranges within ten years and also to learn to grow wheat, potatoes, eggplants etc. in the desert. Just then the Thom(p)sons turn up in their car, crash and end up in the fountain, to the amusement of all. Greedy dogs eat a THE END sign.
Cast
- Jean BouiseJean BouiseJean Bouise was a French actor. In the 1950s he helped to found Théâtre de la Cité, and was a player in the company. He entered films in the 1960s, and played a supporting roles in The Shameless Old Lady, Z, L'Aveu, Out 1 and The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe, Section spéciale...
as Haddock - Jean-Pierre TalbotJean-Pierre TalbotJean-Pierre Talbot is a former Belgian actor.A teacher by profession, Talbot was first noted for his physical resemblance to that of Tintin while sports instructor on a beach in Ostend. He was introduced to Hergé who sympathized with him immediately...
as Tintin - Félix Fernández as Calculus
- Jenny Orléans as Bianca Castafiore
- Ángel Álvarez as Professor Zalamea
- Max Elloy as Nestor
- Franky François as Thomson
- André Marié as Thompson
- Pedro Mari Sánchez as Pablito
- Salvador Beguería as Francesito
- Pierre Desgraupes as Himself