Figure 1.-- We don't know too much about the plot, but the story concerns a 12-year-old boy who suddenly loses his entire family and is forced to make his way in the world entirely on his own and by the use of his own wits. This involves pretense, trickery, and impersonation. I don't think this room with the bed is the boy's own room. He seems to have entered someone else's house and is exploring--after he has lost his family. Notice that he approaches the bed in a spirit of curiosity. He is wearing long stockings which was not all that common in France in the 1930s. But the childhood secenes are set earlier.

This French film is 'Le Roman du'n Tricheur' ('The Story of an Impostor'). The film ws made in 1936. We don't know too much about the plot, but the story concerns a 12-year-old boy who suddenly loses his entire family and is forced to make his way in the world entirely on his own and by the use of his own wits. This involves pretense, trickery, and impersonation. We see him as a boy of 12 only for the first 20 minutes of the film after which he grows up and continues his adventures. In the early sequences when he is a boy of 12, we see him wearing a suit with short trousers, and shirt and tie, and tan long stockings (but worn with round garters rather than a garter waist).

Filmology

This French film is 'Le Roman du'n Tricheur' ('The Story of an Impostor'). The director of the film was Sascha Guitry, a major figure in the French performing arts.

Sacha Guitry

Alexandre-Pierre Georges "Sacha" Guitry (1885–1957). He was a noted French stage actor, but iscontrobution to the performing arts was emmense. He was a film actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright of the Boulevard theatre. His father was a leading French actor, Lucien Guitry, and Sascha followed his father into the theater. He first became known for his stage performances, often in boulevardier roles. He also wrote more than 120 olays. He was married five times, always to rising actresses whose careers he furthered. His best-known wife was to Yvonne Printemps (1919 and 1932). His attention to various activities varied. He made this film when he returned to film making after a period orking in other areas. The later phase of Guitry's career was tainrted by by accusations of collaborating with the NAZI orld War II. He was investigated after the War. Actually it was virtually impossible to colaborate with the occupying Germans. Guitry didcontinue working in films during the occupation. His most famous Vichy work was De 1429 à 1942 ou De Jeanne d'Arc à Philippe Pétain ("1429 to 1942, or Joan of Arc to Philippe Pétain"). It began as a book which he made into a film. Guitry conceived it as a tribute to France's past glories. As the occupation continued at Pétains popularity fell. The film was not released until June 1944--talk bout bad timing. Many French people saw it as Vichy propaganda film honoring Pétain and Vichy. The post War investigation cleared him. He is now seen as apatriot who used his efforts to aid many in the theater that were anti-NAZIs. He was arrested, mitreated and interned where his health began to fail. In addition, he was tagently involved in Ultra. Just before the German invasion of Poland launching the war, Guitry smuggled the Polish replica Enigma machine supplied by the Biuro Szyfrow to London (August 16, 1939). It of course it was taken to Bletchley Park where it plyed an important role in the Ultra program which cracked Enigma. Guitry kept this a secret throughout the War.

Cast

The director (Sascha Guitry) also acts in the film. Other players are Marguerite Moreno and Pierre Assy.

Setting

The film was set in France. We at first thought it was a Soviet film--'Роман обманщика'. We were confused because the imahes a reader sent had a Russian title--'Роман обманщика'. The outdoor scenes, however, did not look like Russia to us. The women's clothing in particular do not look Russian. Given the plot, it might make more sense to set in in the West. And we have since confirmed that it is a French film.

Chronology

The film was made in 1936. We are not sure about the chronological appropriateness of the costumingh. The boy wears clothes appropriate to the 30s, perhaps with the exception of the long stockings. They were not that common in France, but were widely worn in several other countries. The adult costuming is much more ambiguous.

Plot

We don't know too much about the plot, but the story concerns a 12-year-old boy who suddenly loses his entire family and is forced to make his way in the world entirely on his own and by the use of his own wits. This involves pretense, trickery, and impersonation. We see him as a boy of 12 only for the first 20 minutes of the film after which he grows up and continues his adventures.

Costuming

The main character is depicted as a boy of 12 years of age in the earlky part iof the film. We see him wearing a single-breasted suit with short trousers, a white shirt and tie, and tan long stockings (but worn with round garters rather than a garter waist). This seems reasonable for a Russian boy in Moscow cr other large city. It is not right if the film is set in France as French boys more commonly wore knee socks. We are not sure how much care was taken with children's clothing in French films, especially films set in contemprary era.

Created: 12:36 AM 5/17/2012
Last updated: 6:35 PM 7/11/2016