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Maldone was one of the first feature-length efforts of French filmmaker Jean Gremillon. The title character is a footloose bargee who returns to his ancestral home upon receiving a huge inheritance. At first, Maldone is reluctant to give up his carefree lifestyle, especially his lusty romance with a toothsome gypsy girl. Eventually, however, he accedes to the responsibilities of his social position, marrying the daughter of a wealthy neighbor and fathering a child. Though he tries to be a faithful husband and good father, Maldone simply can't get over his gypsy sweetheart, who has since become a famous actress. Finally, Maldone "breaks down," donning old clothes and scurrying back to his former haunts, in the vain hope that he will be reunited with his former love. Charles Dullin stars as Maldone, while among the supporting actors is an up-and-coming starlet named Annabella (later the wife of Tyrone Power).