France in the Eurovision Song Contest 1959

Eurovision Song Contest 1959
Eurovision Song Contest 1959
Participating broadcaster	Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF)
Country	France
National selection
Selection process	Artist: Unknown; Song: Grand Prix de la Chanson
Selection date(s)	28 January 1959
Selected artist(s)	Jean Philippe
Selected song	"Oui, oui, oui, oui"
Selected songwriter(s)	Pierre Cour; Hubert Giraud;
Placement
Final result	3rd, 15 points
France in the Eurovision Song Contest

France was represented in the Eurovision Song Contest 1959 with the song "Oui, oui, oui, oui", composed by Hubert Giraud, with lyrics by Pierre Cour, and performed by Jean Philippe. The French participating broadcaster, Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF), held a national final to select its entry. In addition, RTF was also the host broadcaster and staged the event at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, after winning the previous edition with the song "Dors, mon amour" by André Claveau.

Before Eurovision

The 1959 contest marked France's fourth appearance in the Eurovision Song Contest, having participated yearly since the first contest in 1956.^[1]

Grand Prix de la chanson

Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF) used a format called Grand Prix de la chanson to determine its song.^[2] Semi-final broadcasts were aired on radio France II daily (except Sundays) between 5 and 19 January 1959.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]

The final was held on 28 January 1959 at 21:15 CET (20:15 UTC) and was broadcast on RTF as well as on France II and Radio Monte Carlo^[a].^[2]^[11] It took the form of a special issue of the monthly program Le magazine de la chanson, produced by Emmanuel Robert, Pierre Brive [fr] and André Salvet [fr], and directed by Marcel Cravenne [fr].^[2] Jacqueline Joubert, who also hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 1959, presented the show.^[2]

Eight songs took part in the final.^[2] The winning song was determined by a jury of listeners and viewers in nine different French cities.^[2]

Final – 28 January 1959^[12]^[13]
R/O	Performers	Song	Songwriter(s)	Total	Place
1	Lita Mirial	"À Santa Clara"	Marc Fontenoy, Yvon Alain	34	3
2	Guy Revaldy	"Un violon chantait"	Hubert Ithier, Maurice Méry	37	2
3	Unknown	"Tu m'as donné l'amour"	Unknown	25	4
4	Cora Vaucaire [fr]	"Souper d'adieu"	Michel Vaucaire, Rolf Marbot [fr]	22	5
5	Unknown	"Ces petits riens"	Unknown	18	6
6	Jean Philippe	"Oui, oui, oui, oui"	Pierre Cour, Hubert Giraud	77	1
7	Unknown	"Les yeux de l'amour"	Unknown	7	7
8	Juliette Gréco	"On s'embrassera"	André Popp	7	7

The selected entrant Jean Philippe performed the French entry "Oui, oui, oui, oui" for television viewers one month later, during the following edition of Le magazine de la chanson, aired on 25 February at 21:20 CET.^[14]^[15]

At Eurovision

RTF hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 1959 at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, on 11 March 1958.^[16] Jean Philippe sang first on the night of the contest, preceding Denmark. At the close of the voting he had received 15 points, placing third of 11 countries.

Voting

Each participating broadcaster assembled a ten-member jury panel. Every jury member could give one point to their favourite song.

Known members of the French jury were: Jean-Edouard Bloch (jury president), swimmer Aldo Eminente and writer Jean-François Josselin.^[17] The jury also included a former team leader at a water company, a singer, a jeweller, a painter, a dentist and an employee of the postal and telephone company PTT.^[18]

Points awarded to France^[19]
Score	Country
4 points	Denmark Germany
2 points	Belgium Monaco
1 point	Italy Austria Switzerland

Points awarded by France^[19]
Score	Country
4 points	Netherlands
3 points	Italy
2 points	Germany
1 point	United Kingdom

Notes

^ Delayed broadcast on 5 February at 22:06 CET.^[11]

References

^ "Countries – France". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Télé-Choix: Finale du Grand Prix de la Chanson". Le Figaro (in French). 28 January 1959. p. 15. ISSN 0182-5852. OCLC 1367314267.
^ "La radiodiffusion". Le Monde (in French). 5 January 1959. p. 10. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
^ "Rappel des principales émissions de la soirée". Le Monde (in French). 6 January 1959. p. 8. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
^ "Radiodiffusion et télévision". Le Monde (in French). 8 January 1959. p. 8. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
^ "Radiodiffusion et télévision". Le Monde (in French). 10 January 1959. p. 11. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
^ "Radiodiffusion et télévision". Le Monde (in French). 13 January 1959. p. 6. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
^ "Radiodiffusion et télévision". Le Monde (in French). 15 January 1959. p. 8. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
^ "Radiodiffusion et télévision". Le Monde (in French). 17 January 1959. p. 13. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
^ "Radiodiffusion et télévision". Le Monde (in French). 20 January 1959. p. 8. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
^ ^a ^b "Radiodiffusion". Le Monde (in French). 5 February 1959. p. 10. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606 – via ProQuest.
^ "Magazine of the song: Jacqueline Joubert gives points attributed to every participant for the European selection of the Eurovision song contest of the song". Getty Images. 25 June 2015.
^ "Nationale finale Frankrijk 1959". Eurovision Artists. 23 December 2024.
^ "Le magazine de la chanson : émission du 25 fevrier 1959". INAthèque (in French). Institut national de l'audiovisuel. CPF86610344. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
^ "Radiodiffusion et télévision". Le Monde. 26 February 1959. p. 13. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 6 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
^ European Broadcasting Union. "Cannes 1959". eurovision.tv. Archived from the original on 12 May 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
^ "4ème Grand prix Eurovision 1959 de la chanson européenne". INAthèque. Institut national de l'audiovisuel. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
^ 4ème Grand prix Eurovision 1959 de la chanson européenne (Television production) (in French). Paris and Cannes: Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française. 11 March 1959. CPF86622515 – via Institut national de l'audiovisuel.
^ ^a ^b "Results of the Final of Cannes 1959". Eurovision Song Contest. Archived from the original on 24 April 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2023.

[12] Delayed broadcast on 5 February at 22:06 CET.^[11]

[:0-1] "Countries – France". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2023.

[:1-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Télé-Choix: Finale du Grand Prix de la Chanson". Le Figaro (in French). 28 January 1959. p. 15. ISSN 0182-5852. OCLC 1367314267.

[3] "La radiodiffusion". Le Monde (in French). 5 January 1959. p. 10. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.

[4] "Rappel des principales émissions de la soirée". Le Monde (in French). 6 January 1959. p. 8. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.

[5] "Radiodiffusion et télévision". Le Monde (in French). 8 January 1959. p. 8. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.

[6] "Radiodiffusion et télévision". Le Monde (in French). 10 January 1959. p. 11. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.

[7] "Radiodiffusion et télévision". Le Monde (in French). 13 January 1959. p. 6. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.

[8] "Radiodiffusion et télévision". Le Monde (in French). 15 January 1959. p. 8. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.

[9] "Radiodiffusion et télévision". Le Monde (in French). 17 January 1959. p. 13. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.

[10] "Radiodiffusion et télévision". Le Monde (in French). 20 January 1959. p. 8. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 10 August 2023 – via ProQuest.

[:2-11] "Radiodiffusion". Le Monde (in French). 5 February 1959. p. 10. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606 – via ProQuest.

[13] "Magazine of the song: Jacqueline Joubert gives points attributed to every participant for the European selection of the Eurovision song contest of the song". Getty Images. 25 June 2015.

[14] "Nationale finale Frankrijk 1959". Eurovision Artists. 23 December 2024.

[15] "Le magazine de la chanson : émission du 25 fevrier 1959". INAthèque (in French). Institut national de l'audiovisuel. CPF86610344. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.

[16] "Radiodiffusion et télévision". Le Monde. 26 February 1959. p. 13. ISSN 0395-2037. OCLC 224461606. Retrieved 6 August 2023 – via ProQuest.

[17] European Broadcasting Union. "Cannes 1959". eurovision.tv. Archived from the original on 12 May 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.

[18] "4ème Grand prix Eurovision 1959 de la chanson européenne". INAthèque. Institut national de l'audiovisuel. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.

[ESC1959-19] 4ème Grand prix Eurovision 1959 de la chanson européenne (Television production) (in French). Paris and Cannes: Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française. 11 March 1959. CPF86622515 – via Institut national de l'audiovisuel.

[1959detailed-20] "Results of the Final of Cannes 1959". Eurovision Song Contest. Archived from the original on 24 April 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2023.

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