Joy House (1964)

French title: Les félins
dir. René Clément

Day Keene’s novel was loosely adapted by Pascal Jardin and Charles Williams. Alain Delon had just signed a six-film contract with MGM and was overjoyed with the opportunity to work with Jane Fonda, the daughter of his cinematic idol. The film was shot in English, with Delon and Fonda also dubbing their parts for the French version. The director Clément used several Riviera locations, and the interiors were done at the studio Victorine in Nice.

The film opens with a helicopter shot of New York City...

Then the camera pans to the Time-Life building, filmed from the Seventh Avenue side.

Another helicopter shot shows the Americana Hotel at 811 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY.

The Americana of New York opened on September 25, 1962 as a 2,000-room convention hotel. It was constructed by brothers Laurence Tisch and Preston Tisch, co-owners of the Loews Corporation and was the first over 1,000-room hotel to be built in New York since the Waldorf Astoria in 1931. With 51 floors, it was acclaimed for many years in its advertising and by the media as the tallest hotel in the world, based on the number and height of its inhabited floors. The hotel was also known in later years as the Americana Hotel, Americana New York and Loews Americana of New York.

The Americana of New York and the City Squire Motor Inn were sold to a partnership of Sheraton Hotels and the Equitable Life Assurance Society on January 24, 1979. The Americana was renamed the Sheraton Centre Hotel & Towers. Sheraton bought out Equitable’s share in the hotel in 1990, freeing them to undertake a nearly $200 million renovation in 1991, when the hotel was renamed the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers. Starwood Hotels (which had bought Sheraton in 1998) sold the hotel, along with 37 other properties, to Host Marriott for $4 Billion on November 14, 2005. The hotel continued to be managed by Sheraton, however, and was again renovated from 2011-2012, at a cost of $180 million, with the name shortened to Sheraton New York Hotel in 2012 and then changed to Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel in 2013.

A criminal boss brings his wife into the hotel and questions her about her affair with Marc (Alain Delon). It looks like it was actually filmed at the Americana hotel lobby.

Meanwhile, Marc is enjoying his time at the Riviera, unaware that the thugs are looking for him – Hôtel de Paris, Place du Casino, Monte Carlo, Monaco.

The thugs prepare to kill Marc but he escapes – Pointe de l'Observatoire, D559, Saint-Raphaël, France

The thugs spot Marc who hitched a ride in a truck – Promenade des Anglais at Boulevard Gambetta, Nice, France.

Barbara (Lola Albright) and Melinda (Jane Fonda) bring Marc to their chateau – Villa Torre Clementina, Avenue Impératrice Eugénie, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes Maritimes, France. This is a private villa, not normally open to the public. The interiors were filmed at the Epinay studios in the Parisian region.

Marc drives Barbara to a travel office – 5 Promenade des Anglais, Nice, France.

Marc comes to the train station but is spotted there by one of the thugs and has to flee – Gare de Nice-Ville, Avenue Thiers, Nice, France.

Marc and Melinda fleeing from the gangsters – Boulevard Saint-Roch looking north, Nice, France.

Melinda's car then turns into Roule Saint-Roch, Nice, France.

Marc comes to the Nice Matin office to look up Barbara in the archives – 29 Avenue Jean Médecin, Nice, France. This was indeed the office of Nice's daily newspaper that has since moved to 214 Boulevard du Mercantour.

Marc prentends to take a bus to Nice – 2 Avenue Winston Churchill, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes Maritimes, France. The bus stop is still there and the shed looks exactly the same as 60 years ago.

Marc drives Barbara to the Hotel Ruhl – 1 Promenade des Anglais, Nice, France.

The Hotel Ruhl was a luxury hotel built at the beginning of the 20th century, similar in style to the Hotel Negresco in Nice or the Carlton Hotel in Cannes. The latter was also commissioned by Henry Ruhl.

The hotel was demolished in 1970, and the Hotel Méridien was built on the site. The casino, however, retains the name Casino Ruhl. That corner, where the old hotel entrance was, is now occupied by a McDonald's.

Melinda comes to the Hotel Negresco to send a telegram – 37 Promenade des Anglais, Nice, France.

Marc gets a visa at the Venezuelan consulate – 15 Rue du Maréchal Joffre, Nice, France. There's no Venezuelan consulate in Nice, it's actually an apartment building called "Villa Royale."

The gangsters follow Marc and Melinda's car – Rue Alphonse Karr at Boulevard Victor Hugo, Nice, France.

The gangsters keep following Marc and Melinda's car – Boulevard Victor Hugo at Rue Maccarani, Nice, France.

Marc and Melinda at the flower market – Cours Saleya looking at Rue Saint-François de Paule, Nice, France. Formerly a festive hub for social life, Cours Saleya is one of the iconic places in Nice. In the second half of the 19th century it was here that the floats of the Carnaval de Nice paraded, since moved to the Promenade des Anglais, then to Place Masséna. Famous for its flower market, it also hosts stalls of fresh produce, local handicrafts as well as many gourmet specialities. On Mondays, it gives way to a flea market.

Cours Saleya looking at Rue Louis Gassin, Nice, France.

Marc nearly runs over a woman – 69 Quai des États-Unis, Nice, France.