Saturnin Fabre Movies

Love Sings is the English-language title of this Made-in-Germany-for-Frenchmen concoction. Pierre Bertin plays Claude, a grammar teacher forced by a series of cute plot devices to pose as a professor of music. He is then obliged to teach a talentless musical-comedy star how to sing, lest the star's husband pull his financial backing for the show in which his wife is appearing. Things look pretty grim when wifey leaves hubby in favor of a handsome Egyptian prince, but all ends happily for Claude, who ends up marrying the daughter of the man he's been impersonating. Director Robert Florey also helmed the German-language version of L'Amour Chante, Komm' Zu Mir Zum Rendezvous, and the Spanish version, El Professor de Mi Senora. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Paris Beguin finds Parisian cinema star Jean Gabin playing a familiar role, that of the martyred criminal with a golden heart. A burglar by profession, Jean forces his way into an apartment one night. While he's ransacking the joint, the resident unexpectedly returns. It turns out to be a nightclub singer Jane Diamand, and in a wonderful scene they move from cagey opponents to one-time lovers. On the following day, Jean is arrested by the police for a murder, one that he did not commit. Jane graciously supplies him with an alibi but is forced to say that Jean spent the night with her maid. This gets back to Jean's longtime girlfriend, who, in an act apropos jealousy, takes out a contract on Jean with the real killers. Jean runs, but they eventually catch up with him and he dies held in Jane's arms. Paris Beguin is a dark atmospheric crime film typical of this period of French B movie production. ~ Brian Whitener, Rovi

Director Abel Gance was several degrees removed from his silent masterpiece Napoleon when he called the shots on the conformist crime melodrama Le Voleur de Femmes (aka Woman Thief and A Thief of Women). Annie Ducaux plays a young girl named Anna, who is blackmailed into a life of crime. Leading Anna astray is the slimy Sadoc Torner, played with full "Peter Lorre" repulsiveness by the inimitable Jules Berry. Ultimately, Sadoc is foiled by one of his victims, who steadfastly refuses to submit to extortion. Relieving the overall grimness of the story is the charming comic performance of Saturnin-Fabre as the archetypal absent-minded professor. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Pepe le Moko (Jean Gabin) is a well-known criminal mastermind who eludes the French police by hiding in the Casbah section of Algiers. He knows he is safe in this labyrinthine netherworld, where he is surrounded by his fellow thieves and cutthroats. Police inspector Slimane (Lucas Gridoux), who has developed a grudging respect for Pepe, bides his time, waiting for Pepe to try to leave the Casbah. When Gaby Gould (Mirielle Balin), a Parisian tourist, falls in love with Pepe, the inspector hopes to use this relationship to his advantage. He tells Gaby that Pepe has been killed, knowing that the heartbroken girl will return to Paris -- and that Pepe will risk everything to go after her. The French Pepe le Moko was remade in the US as Algiers, which followed the original so slavishly (except for changing its ending) that the American producers were able to utilize generous amounts of stock footage from the French film. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Les Petits translates colloquially as "Youngsters," a reference to pre-teen protagonists E. Roncier and C. Borrelli. Placed in a boarding school by his insensitive father, young Roncier forms a strong bond with female schoolmate Borelli. The kids' innocent relationship is unfortunately misinterpreted by a dirty-minded school supervisor. Returned to his father in disgrace, Roncier runs away, hoping to be reunited with Borelli, the only person in the world who truly cares for him. Finally, dad comes to his senses, blesses his son's platonic friendship, and promises to be a better father from here on in -- but only after agonizing over the possibility that the boy has accidentally drowned. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

La Venus D'Or (Golden Venus) was based on Business, a play by Pierre Sabatier. Mirielle Balin stars as Judith, the mistress of ruthless oil magnate Harfstrong (Jacques Copeau). What Harfstrong doesn't know is that Judith is a spy for his hated business rival. When he does find out, he cannot get rid of her because she knows too much about his own crooked dealings. After several more reels of mutual betrayal and recriminations, the story suddenly shifts to the "good" characters, clean-limned young pilot Andre (Daniel Lecourtois) and his sweetheart Michelle (Andree Giuze). Set up as a fall guy for the villains, Andre somehow emerges from the experience none the worse for wear. This patchy, wandering storyline is threaded together by some fairly exciting aerial sequences. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The inimitable Raimu heads the cast of the frothy farce Monsieur Brotoneau. Known for his infallible punctuality, bank president Brontoneau (Raimu) causes a panic when he shows up 45 minutes late. When Brontoneau reveals that his tardiness was due to discovering his wife in bed with her lover, his faithful secretary Louise (Josette Day) is most sympathetic. Thus encouraged, Brontoneau allows his wife to go her own way and settles down to a hopefully blissful romantic relationship with Louise. All this changes when the wife's lover tires of her and she tearfully returns to Brontoneau, begging forgiveness. The banker is all for remaining with Louise, but his employees, shocked at such impropriety, try to arrange a reconciliation between Monsieur and Madame Brotoneau. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi