David and I are back with another episode of The Eclipse Viewer, the podcast dedicated to the Criterion Collection’s Eclipse Series of DVDs.

In this episode we discuss the work of Sacha Guitry, who was once a household name but is now relatively unknown. In particular, we discuss the four films packaged in Eclipse Series 22: Presenting Sacha Guitry.

Guitry became famous as a playwright, but in the mid-1930s he began to put his plays on film, becoming, in the process, very prolific and very influential as a filmmaker. These four films are each filled with wit and fun and do a great job introducing us to the work of this auteur.

Here are the four films: The Story of a Cheat (1936), which should be an essential for any film fanatic; The Pearls of the Crown (1937), a speedy, sardonic trek through European history; Désiré (1937), in which Guitry plays a butler who cannot help but love his employers; and Quadrille (1938), a clever presentation of the dance four people must undergo when they love the wrong person.

Please find the podcast, the shownotes, and plenty of links over at CriterionCast here.

In the next episode of The Eclipse Viewer, David and I will be discussing Eclipse Series 4: Raymond Bernard, featuring just two films (though one is quite long): Wooden Crosses (1932) and Les Misérables (1934).