Marcel Lévesque

Produced for television by Claude-Jean Philippe, the « Encyclopédie audiovisuelle du cinéma », recounts the history of French cinema from its birth to the beginning of the 1960s. With commentary read by Jean Rochefort.

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.

Mild-mannered novelist of Western fiction, Amédée Lange, and his colleagues take over a publishing house after their exploitative boss disappears, only for the superior to return and try to reclaim the profits from their successful cooperative.

Paris is prey to an invisible terror against which the police can do nothing: a sinister organization that sows chaos and death. The intrepid journalist Philippe Guérande and his partner embark on a long crusade to put an end to the crimes of the Great Vampire and Irma Vep, his dangerous accomplice. (A ten episode movie serial.)

Is it because his father was a groom that Adhémar Pomme has a long horse head and a horse- toothed smile? Maybe but the fact is that his head has invariably caused laughter whatever the circumstances, which is the tragedy of his life. After having worked as an undertaker, a theater prompter, a casino bouncer, and so on, and failing at each job, he applies out of desperation to an institution where those rejected for physical reasons can hide and live together. But Adhémar immediately starts... laughing at them and gets kicked out as a result! In the end though, he finds his way as a circus artist.

Maigret is called to the high-class Hotel Majestic to investigate a body. The wife of a wealthy American has been killed - but to Maigret's surprise she has a gun in her purse. He begins to follow up the handful of clues that could explain her secret life and her demise.

A husband who has just cheated on his wife returns home in the early morning, puzzled. He finds there, without knowing it, the lover of his wife, to whom he confesses his infidelity.

Denis, a poor student in philosophy, works as a night porter in the Paris market of Les Halles in order to pay for his studies. Constantly weary, he falls asleep and dreams of a beautiful girl in white, Irène, with whom he falls in love.

When an unscrupulous banker ruins his family, a young man swears to bring him to justice, so he adopts a new identity, the mysterious Judex, and ominously disguised and sunk into the muddy path of vengeance, punishes the crooks and protects the innocents. (Originally a twelve-part epic serial.)

A shimmering glass hotel at the top of a remote Provençal mountain provides the setting for a tragicomic tapestry about an obsessive love pentangle, whose principals range from an artist to a hotel manager to a dam worker.

The constant smile of the eternally amiable Jacques Perdrot often complicates his life. Appointed chief of police at Castel-Boudin, he takes up his new post accompanied by his maid and his godmother, who watches over his virtue, and by the Widow Gibard, who is determined to marry him. At Castel-Boudin, his smile has great effect, provoking distaste and misunderstandings.

Foezel, a dim-witted police officer, is persuaded to loan his trousers to an actor who is playing a cop in a movie.

The orphan Catherine Maguet, nicknamed "La grande Maguet", was taken in by a young and good chatelaine, Suzanne de Norvaisis. Edmond, the husband of the latter, during a trip abroad, falls madly in love with another and will go, to conquer this one, to poison his wife. Imprisoned then released, the lord will finally marry the one for whom he has become a criminal. But the great Maguet will avenge her beloved murdered benefactress...

After being left for another man by his wife, Charles Bellanger raises his only son to fear and suspect women. Years later, such an education is bearing fruit.

Tourneur's first film tells the story of a chemist, Jules Renaudin. He welcomes a young pregnant girl, Claire, who enters his pharmacy in despair one evening. He takes care of her and gradually falls in love with her, doing everything for her. But she is attracted by the cheerfulness of young Jean Cordier, whose warehouse is a few steps away from the pharmacy.

Le Grand Vampire, in disguise as Count de Noirmoutier, reads that ballerina Marfa Koutiloff, who is engaged to Philipe, will perform a ballet called The Vampires. To prevent her from publicizing the Vampires’ activities and to deter Philipe, he gives Marfa a poisoned ring before her performance.

In order to take part in a "tournoi des dames", Narcisse Leblond persuades his wife that he is going to look after his sick godmother at Beaucaire. Naturally, the godmother in question arrives at the house a few minutes after his departure...

A prudish man becomes, by inheritance, owner of the Bal Tabarin which, according to the testamentary provisions, he must manage himself. He launches himself happily into this life of pleasures and hides it from his family.

Shot on location in Paris, Monte Carlo and the Riviera with both American and French actors. When Matthew Versigny discovers that the jewels his diamond company has been buying are fake, he travels to Europe to track down the counterfeiter. With him are his sister, Marguerite and her sweetheart, Paul Bernac, who is an agent in the French Secret Service.

A traveller is stuck in an unknown town because his connecting train will only arrive in six hours. He decides to kill time by taking a stroll. He is not prepared to get confused with somebody else. In fact the citizens are eagerly awaiting the visit of a famous man and the clueless traveller is his doppelgänger. Soon he experiences what that means.