Boléro

Like in the 1932 Raft/Lombard movie,and before Lelouch's "Les Uns et Les Autres" ,this famous piece of music was the center of a plot.So to speak.

It's filmed stage production without an audience .But Arletty's presence deserves your undivided attention ,as always:her first scene where she passes for a lunatic ,discussing architecture with a man fed up with Le Bolero de Ravel which he hears all day and all night,thanks to his neighbor,a stylist who plays it loud and on and on and on,is the best with her best line :"I'm Joan of Arc ,don't you tell me you haven't recognized me!" Another good scene involves Meg Lemonnier as Niquette who pretends she is suicidal.But halfway through the film becomes repetitive and predictable.After two unexpected twists in its first half,it is a letdown.

Arletty's numerous fans would not want to be without one of her movies made during the Occupation days .

A row between neighbours that begins with a noisy gramophone (playing, yes, Ravel's Boléro) escalates into a war of cruel practical jokes culminating in suicide (perhaps) and romance (certainly).

André Luguet and Denise Grey are good fun as the warring neighbours, but the main reason for watching is Arletty, who is on devilish form as a society gal with a mischievous sense of humour. As often with her best characters, there's a wry detachment about her performance, her sly smile commenting on the absurdity of the behaviour that she provokes in those around her. Her costumes, designed by Robert Piguet, are eccentric, to say the least.

Jean Boyer's direction keeps up a good pace, but there's no disguising the stagebound nature of the screenplay, adapted from a successful theatre production in which Jane Aubert played Arletty's role. Filming stage comedies was a staple of French Occupation cinema. It had the merit of being cheap, quick and uncontroversial.

Watch out for Simone Signoret in a tiny role as Denise Grey's wardrobe assistant.