Jacques Varennes

Orpheus

A famous poet in postwar Paris, scorned by the Left Bank youth, is in love with both his wife Eurydice and a mysterious princess. Seeking inspiration, the poet becomes obsessed and follows the princess from the world of the living to the land of the dead.

Vautrin the Thief

A famous convict Jacques Collin, alias Trompe la mort, or abbot Carlos Herrera, also called Vautrin, escapes from prison. Chance makes him meet Lucien de Rubempré, an impetuous and eternal lover who, when he is dismissed, collapses. Moved by this fragility, he takes him under his wing, and will do everything possible to ensure that his creature reaches happiness, even if it means imagining the worst shenanigans and other scams, with the help of a band of clever villains.

From Joan of Arc to Philippe Pétain

Sitting at his desk, Guitry gives us a lecture on French history from Joan of Arc to the Occupation, with some focus on a number of its great writers and musicians.

Poison

Paul Braconnier and his wife Blandine only have one thing in mind: to find a way to kill each other without risk. After listening to a radio show, Paul decides to go to Paris to meet a famous lawyer in the acquittal of the murderers. He tells the lawyer that he killed his wife. The lawyer asks Paul to reconstruct the circumstances of the drama. Without knowing it, he explains, in spite of himself, the way for Paul to murder his wife by putting the odds on his side to avoid death penalty or even be released...

L'Assommoir

Everyman Coupeau's attempts to stop drinking are routinely thwarted by the wicked and vengeful Virginie. Based on Zola's novel, Capellani's film is about the free fall of a group of working-class French folk into degradation and tragedy due to carelessness, jealousy, and alcohol abuse. At the time of its release, L'Assommoir was hugely successful.

Diabolique

The cruel and abusive headmaster of a boarding school, Michel Delassalle, is murdered by an unlikely duo -- his meek wife and the mistress he brazenly flaunts. The women become increasingly unhinged by a series of odd occurrences after Delassalle's corpse mysteriously disappears.

Dear Caroline

France, July 1782. During her birthday, the beautiful young Marchioness Caroline meets the attractive soldier Gaston. It's love at first sight but Gaston does not wish to make a commitment because a military career waits for him. Caroline marries then a politician but the French Revolution bursts and Caroline has to run away to escape the guillotine. By running away she meets Gaston again who decides to help her.

Le Bossu

Lagardère protects Aurore, the granddaughter of the Duke of Nevers whose deceitful Philippe de Gonzague covets the inheritance.

Orpheus

A famous poet in postwar Paris, scorned by the Left Bank youth, is in love with both his wife Eurydice and a mysterious princess. Seeking inspiration, the poet becomes obsessed and follows the princess from the world of the living to the land of the dead.

Vautrin the Thief

A famous convict Jacques Collin, alias Trompe la mort, or abbot Carlos Herrera, also called Vautrin, escapes from prison. Chance makes him meet Lucien de Rubempré, an impetuous and eternal lover who, when he is dismissed, collapses. Moved by this fragility, he takes him under his wing, and will do everything possible to ensure that his creature reaches happiness, even if it means imagining the worst shenanigans and other scams, with the help of a band of clever villains.

From Joan of Arc to Philippe Pétain

Sitting at his desk, Guitry gives us a lecture on French history from Joan of Arc to the Occupation, with some focus on a number of its great writers and musicians.

Poison

Paul Braconnier and his wife Blandine only have one thing in mind: to find a way to kill each other without risk. After listening to a radio show, Paul decides to go to Paris to meet a famous lawyer in the acquittal of the murderers. He tells the lawyer that he killed his wife. The lawyer asks Paul to reconstruct the circumstances of the drama. Without knowing it, he explains, in spite of himself, the way for Paul to murder his wife by putting the odds on his side to avoid death penalty or even be released...

L'Assommoir

Everyman Coupeau's attempts to stop drinking are routinely thwarted by the wicked and vengeful Virginie. Based on Zola's novel, Capellani's film is about the free fall of a group of working-class French folk into degradation and tragedy due to carelessness, jealousy, and alcohol abuse. At the time of its release, L'Assommoir was hugely successful.

Diabolique

The cruel and abusive headmaster of a boarding school, Michel Delassalle, is murdered by an unlikely duo -- his meek wife and the mistress he brazenly flaunts. The women become increasingly unhinged by a series of odd occurrences after Delassalle's corpse mysteriously disappears.

Dear Caroline

France, July 1782. During her birthday, the beautiful young Marchioness Caroline meets the attractive soldier Gaston. It's love at first sight but Gaston does not wish to make a commitment because a military career waits for him. Caroline marries then a politician but the French Revolution bursts and Caroline has to run away to escape the guillotine. By running away she meets Gaston again who decides to help her.

Le Bossu

Lagardère protects Aurore, the granddaughter of the Duke of Nevers whose deceitful Philippe de Gonzague covets the inheritance.

La Malibran

On the death of the famous singer Maria Malibran, Countess Merlin retraces the main lines of the unusual destiny of this young woman entirely devoted to her art.

On Trial

Prosecutor Etzel discovers that his father has sentenced a man, Leonardo Maurizius, on mere presumptions. He then makes it a point of honor to trace the sources of the case to uncover the truth.

Une fille épatante

Dominique is a pretty, vivacious girl. When she witnesses a car theft, she throws herself and her bicycle under the vehicle. Jacques Mareuil, whom she then blackmails, pays her a sum to cover her debts. In reality, Mareuil, a policeman, is keeping an eye on Atcheminov, the owner of the car, but, wanting to prove that he is an unscrupulous trafficker, he comes up against Dominique's impetuosity time and again. It all ends up like in a good comedy.

Finance noire

In Central Europe, an organization of counterfeiters is headed by Burcq. An Air France pilot introduces an intelligence agent to the principality. A woman, Helene, betrays them first, then in love with Francois, the pilot, helps the two friends to escape.

Le chemin de la drogue

A young customs officer is given an important mission: to investigate drug trafficking on the Belgian border. Incognito, he goes to the place where he easily spots the gangsters.

The Eagle with Two Heads

Political intrigue and psychological drama run parallel. The queen is in seclusion, veiling her face for the ten years since her husband's assassination, longing to join him in death. Stanislas, a poet whose pen name is Azrael, is a suicidal anarchist, his imagination haunted into hate by longing for this queen who's drawn apart. He enters her private quarters intent on killing her then himself, but they fall in love, in part because he looks like the king. Stanislas wants her to regain political power by appearing to the public, and she tries to convince him to find hope and escape. All the while, the queen's enemies plot to keep the lovers together but to thwart their plans.

Fric-Frac

An employee at a jewelry store falls in love with a woman who secretly plans to rob the store.

The Lovers of Midnight

A bank employee who stole money at work falls in the hands of a dangerous escaped convict whose girlfriend is going to help him out of this mess.

Le Rouge et le Noir

It's no holds barred for Julian in pursuit of upward mobility. Although expected to channel career aspirations into the Church of the post-Napoleonic era, his intensely romantic liaisons propel him forward at a pace he cannot control.

Murderers and Thieves

A man becomes the lover of his former persecutor's wife.

The Tower of Nesle

In the 13th century, lovers hurried to the door of Marguerite de Bourgogne. The aristocrat who every day was indulged in orgies that were famous throughout the country. What the suitors do not know is that they will inevitably be executed the day after these festivities and thrown to the Seine.

Nadia la femme traquée

A group of political exiles conspire in France against their government. They are pursued by Daminoff, head of the intelligence service of the country of origin of the conspirators, who uses Nadia, a singer who soon betrays him by taking up the cause of his compatriots. Dramatic chases ensue until Daminoff, having tracked down Nadia and her friends, fires on Chief André and seizes the secret plans. But these are false. André, injured, is stricken with amnesia. Seeing Nadia again, he will become himself again and marry her.

Le Petit Jacques

An honest worker is unjustly accused of murder. The culprit promises him to give his son a good education if he allows himself to be condemned.

Royal Affairs in Versailles

Witty narration follows the history of Versailles Palace; founded by Louis XIII, enlarged by autocratic Louis XIV, whose personal affairs and amours, and those of his two successors, are pursued in more detail to the start of the Revolution, after which the story is brought rapidly up to date.

When Love Is Over

An art historian has an affair with a young saleslady while his disaffected wife cheats on him in turn. Both illicit relationships end in little boys being born around the same time.

Gosse de riche

The daughter of an industrialist takes an interest in the workers and tries to improve their lot. She avoids a strike, and falls in love with an engineer.