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Le roman d'un tricheur

  • 1936
  • 1h 21m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
2.7K
YOUR RATING
Le roman d'un tricheur (1936)
Comedy

A charming scoundrel reflects on his exploits, from childhood through to manhood.A charming scoundrel reflects on his exploits, from childhood through to manhood.A charming scoundrel reflects on his exploits, from childhood through to manhood.

  • Director
    • Sacha Guitry
  • Writer
    • Sacha Guitry
  • Stars
    • Sacha Guitry
    • Adolphe Borchard
    • Marcel Lucien
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    2.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Sacha Guitry
    • Writer
      • Sacha Guitry
    • Stars
      • Sacha Guitry
      • Adolphe Borchard
      • Marcel Lucien
    • 14User reviews
    • 21Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination total

    Photos17

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    Top cast25

    Edit
    Sacha Guitry
    Sacha Guitry
    • Self - Writer & Director…
    Adolphe Borchard
    • Self (in prologue)
    Marcel Lucien
    • Self (in prologue)
    Raymond Clunie
    • Self (in prologue)
    Paul Duvergé
    • Self (in prologue)
    Guerbe
    • Self (in prologue)
    Henri Ménessier
    • Self (in prologue)
    Mailleray
    • Self - Furniture Maker (in prologue)
    Marguerite Moreno
    Marguerite Moreno
    • La Contesse Beauchamp du Bourg de Catinax…
    Jacqueline Delubac
    Jacqueline Delubac
    • La femme…
    Roger Duchesne
    Roger Duchesne
    • Serge Abramovich
    Rosine Deréan
    Rosine Deréan
    • La maîtresse…
    Elmire Vautier
    Elmire Vautier
    • The Countess as a Young Woman
    Serge Grave
    Serge Grave
    • The Cheat at 12
    Fréhel
    Fréhel
    • Self - Singer…
    Pierre Labry
    Pierre Labry
    • Maître Morlot
    • (as Labry)
    • …
    Pauline Carton
    Pauline Carton
    • Mme. Morlot…
    Pierre Assy
    • The Cheat as a Young Man
    • Director
      • Sacha Guitry
    • Writer
      • Sacha Guitry
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews14

    7.52.6K
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    Featured reviews

    9JumpingCineFile

    Absolutely delightful and drôle film

    This was such an enjoyable experience and a surprise considering its vintage of 1936. Mainly told via narration it never loses its charm and humour as the elderly cheat from the film's title writes his memoirs, and the audience is shown the eventful moments in flashback. The Director also was writing and staring in the film, as the main character in his later years, The young actor playing the tricheur as a young boy of 12 years was the most adorable version of the character, for me, followed by the older man. This is a film you have to see if you can, either via BluRay or DVD or via the Criterion Channel streaming service.
    8AlsExGal

    Sly, ahead-of-its-time French comedy

    The plot follows the life of an unnamed protagonist who suffers a terrible tragedy in his childhood that sets him along a path in life in which he believes he who cheats avoids getting cheated.

    Guitry also stars as the adult version of our "hero" a one-time bellboy in a posh hotel who eventually becomes a croupier in Monte Carlo before dabbling in thievery and cheating in casinos under a variety of disguises.

    Things get off to a unique start as Guitry introduces the rest of the cast and the crew, not with written credits, but by showing them at work behind- the-scenes or hanging around the sets, with Guitry's voice identifying them. The most unusual thing about this movie is its narrative style. The story is told by the elder version of the protagonist writing his memoirs at an outdoor cafe, and the action occasionally stops for short vignettes at the cafe that interrupt his writing. But for the vast majority of the film, there is little to no spoken dialogue from the characters, but rather everything is narrated in voice-over by Guitry. What seems like a possible annoyance is actually quite charming, no doubt aided by Guitry's pleasant voice.

    The action moves quickly, and the camerawork is vibrant. Many notable directors have named Guitry as one of their favorites and as an inspiration to their own works, including Orson Welles, Robert Bresson, and Francois Truffaut. I would even add the more recent Wes Anderson, whose work is obviously, if perhaps indirectly, influenced by Guitry's style. This is one of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Recommended.
    8brogmiller

    "...and so I became a cheat".

    Cahiers du Cinema classed this as one of '100 most important films' which is high praise indeed. It is years ahead of its time and has aged like a good wine. It is the first film to use a voice-over narration and Sacha Guitry has introduced his actors and technicians on camera thereby dispensing with traditional credits. This respect for and appreciation of the talents at his disposal is evident in his subsequent films. Guitry has adapted this from his own novel and within its eighty minute length is inventive, absorbing and entertaining enough to be rightly considered one of his best films. Marguerite Moreno is great as the Countess, there is the glorious voice of chanteuse Frehel and a brief appearance by Roger Duchesne as an anarchist. He went off the radar after the War amid 'allegations' of collaboration but resurfaced in 'Bob le Flambeur'. The art direction by Henri Menessier is superlative. Guitry was essentially a man of the theatre and his films have been described as 'anti-cinematic'. There is some truth in this and the staginess, verbosity and over indulgence of his later films are inclined to test ones patience but there are also moments of genius. He was an artiste whose devotion to his craft cannot be overestimated.
    8bob998

    Sacha shows us how

    Sacha Guitry was the greatest orator in movie history. Even greater than Orson Welles, in my estimation. But that does not make him the greatest filmmaker. He had real trouble in SHOWING the audience what was going on, rather than telling them. I think Story of a Cheat is the most successful of his films because he found a way of creating action--an example being the jewel thief who comes up with a novel way of stealing gems from unwitting marks. The two scenes with Marguerite Moreno in the cafe are wonderfully done, with great dialog. Otherwise the story is told through narrated flashbacks.
    6MogwaiMovieReviews

    Dishonor Amongst Thieves

    As others have mentioned here, the films of Sacha Guitry seem to have sunk into oblivion in the English speaking world, which is odd since at their best they share much of the same quality and charm as those of Ernst Lubitsch or Max Ophuls, both of whom are still spoken of with deserved reverence.

    This one might be the most well known of his films, for what that's worth, and is a similar story to Lubitsch's wildly overpraised but markedly inferior 'Heaven Can Wait' - the memoirs of an old rogue's misspent youth. It's a boon that Guitry, working outside of Hollywood censorship, could be much more frank about what his rogue actually got up to - the great weakness of Lubitsch's later film.

    Much of this film is in fact silent, with Guitry's witty narration being the only speech. There is an excellent performance by Serge Grave as the young Cheat. The best scene is the one where the old Guitry runs into the now elderly Countess whose younger charms he has just been fondly reminiscing over. His discomfort is hilarious.

    This is not my favourite of Guitry's films - that would still be La Poison - but it's a patchy and a whimsical delight nonetheless. And really, I'm just glad to have discovered all of them.

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    Related interests

    Will Ferrell in Présentateur vedette: La légende de Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The first movie to use a voice-over narration.
    • Quotes

      Self - Writer & Director: You know what I'm writing right now? Very nice things about the rich. But mind you: the people I call rich are those who spend their money, not save it. Money has value only when it leaves our pockets, not when it goes into them.

    • Crazy credits
      Most of the credits are not printed but spoken in the director's opening narration.
    • Connections
      Featured in D'où vient cet air lointain? Chronique d'une vie en cinéma (2018)
    • Soundtracks
      Et v'là Pourquoi
      Music by Adolphe Borchard

      Lyrics by Sacha Guitry

      Performed by Fréhel

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    FAQ14

    • How long is The Story of a Cheat?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 18, 1936 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • France
    • Official site
      • Gaumont (France)
    • Language
      • French
    • Also known as
      • The Story of a Cheat
    • Filming locations
      • Hotel de Paris, Place du Casino, Monte Carlo, Monaco(Facade of the Hotel de Paris and scenes at the interior.)
    • Production company
      • Cinéas
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 21m(81 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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