Sacha Guitry – MRQE

Désiré

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Sacha Guitry exchanges his usual top hat for a uniform in Désiré, playing a cavalier valet embroiled in an awkward flirtation with his new employer (played by the actor-director’s real-life wife, Jacqueline Delubac), who is involved with a stuffy politician. A carefree class farce filled with memorable supporting characters, Désiré blurs the distinction between upstairs and downstairs.

Le Nouveau testament

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The first of actor- writer-director Sacha Guitry’s four 1936 productions was Nouveau Testament (New Testament), in which he wrote himself the meaty role of Jean Marcelin. Based on Guitry’s own stage play, the story concerns a sanctimonious fellow who eventually is victimized by his own hypocrisy. Little effort is made to “cinematize” the property, which is filmed just as it appeared on stage. Audiences didn’t seem to mind, and in fact some of them were known to applaud each of Guitry’s bon mots as if they were attending a live performance. Nouveau Testament was entertaining enough, but would be eclipsed within a few months by Guitry’s best 1936 effort, Story of a Cheat.

Le Comédien

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Biography of Lucien Guitry, stage comedian, by his son, movie director, and a poetic reflection on the passionate love of both men for their chosen art forms.

Napoléon

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The film follows the life of Napoleon from his early life in Corsica to his death at Saint Helena. The film is notable for its use of location shooting for numerous scenes, especially at the French estates of Malmaison and Fontainebleau, the Palace of Versailles, and sites of Napoleonic battles including Austerlitz and Waterloo.

Le Destin fabuleux de Désirée Clary

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Julie and Désirée Clary are courted by the brothers Joseph and Napoleon Bonaparte. Joseph marries Julie and Napoleon is affianced to Désirée. When Napoleon breaks the engagement and marries Joséphine de Beauharnais, Désirée becomes involved with General Bernadotte.

Quadrille

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The battle of the sexes as drawing room social satire. Philippe, a middle-aged newspaper editor, has lived for six years with Paulette, a successful stage actress. He tells her friend Claudine, a realistic and enterprising reporter, that he’s thinking of proposing. Into the mix steps Carl Erickson, a charming Hollywood matinée idol in Paris briefly. He meets Paulette, sees her act (his box seat compliments of Philippe), and sets out to seduce her. The next two days bring talk, tears, separation, despair, surprises, and, perhaps, reconciliation as characters speak “exactly half the truth.” It’s a quadrille of changing partners.

Perles de la couronne, Les

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The story of the seven pearls of the English Crown, from Henry VIII to 1937; three of them missing.

Le Roman d’un tricheur

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Life story of a charming scoundrel, with little dialogue other than the star/director’s witty narration. As a boy, only he survives a family tragedy when he’s deprived of supper (poisonous mushrooms!) for stealing…concluding that dishonesty pays. Through years of dabbling in crime and amusing adventures, two women appear and reappear in his life, a dazzling blonde jewel thief and a stunning brunette gambler. Finally, he meets the mysterious Charbonnier who had saved his life in World War I, leading to the surprising next phase in his career…

Bonne chance!

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

A girl, Marie, who got engaged to a boy who is leaving for military training (thirteen days) wins two million on the raffle, thanks to an older man, Claude, whom she calls her good luck

Pasteur

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Guitry reprises his role as Pasteur which he played successfully at the Vaudeville Theatre in 1919.