The Story of a Cheat (1936) Poster

(1936)

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8/10
Sly, ahead-of-its-time French comedy
AlsExGal3 January 2023
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.
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8/10
Charming
zetes22 August 2010
I've long wanted to see this French classic, and now Criterion has finally given me the chance via their Eclipse label (the box set also includes three later Guitry films, too). I have to say, I was a little disappointed after hearing it mentioned so much as one of the defining films of the era. But it's good. It's the film's central, original technique that gives the film it's fame, I think, but also what ultimately undermines it. The whole story is told from the point of view of a writer (played by Guitry himself) who is writing his autobiography at a café. Most of the film is told in flashbacks, with the gimmick that the author narrates every second of those flashbacks. Any dialogue that happens comes from the lips of Guitry, whether it be his character speaking or another. It's cute - at first. But narration is very difficult to pull off in films. It just so rarely feels necessary, since, unlike in a book, the audience can always see what is happening. A lot of film viewers just plain dislike it, and, with almost any film you see that uses it, you can find someone complaining about it. In The Story of a Cheat, I found the narration initially amusing. But after nearly ninety minutes of it, I have to admit I got bored with the gimmick. The story itself is very frivolous. It's charming, but, in the end, it doesn't equal all that much. It has a similar "champagne on corn flakes" feel that René Clair's films often do, but it isn't anywhere near as memorable as Clair's best French work.
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8/10
"...and so I became a cheat".
brogmiller24 May 2020
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.
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A Tricheur That's A Real Treat
writers_reign27 June 2004
Although Sacha Guitry acted in London in 1920 he remains practically unknown and/or forgotten here as, I would venture to guess, he is in the United States. One of the better Art Houses in Paris ran a mini season of his movies a couple of years ago but even in France he is a spent force. This is a pity because he had a great deal to offer to both stage and screen. A prolific playwright who authors close to one hundred plays and has them performed clearly has something to offer and even allowing for changes in taste and fashion it remains an impressive track record. It's difficult to find an English comparison; Gerald du Maurier was roughly contemporaneous but he only acted and never wrote a line, Peter Ustinov WAS an actor-director but began his career when Guitry was entering his final phase. The Cheat dates from 1936 and is considered in many quarters to be Guitry's finest film. I haven't seen enough titles to say yea or nay but this is certainly a charming and stylish entry. For 1936 Guitry could be said to be ahead of his time by introducing us in the very first frames not only to his cast - and even here it is far from a standard 'still' and a name; he opts for playfulness, 'where is .... ' and calling until the actor/actress emerges to take a bow - but also to his technicians from camera operator to sound recordist, composer, and film editor. At the end of all this he begins his story - in a manner later 'borrowed' in 'Kind Hearts And Coronets' - by sitting at a cafe table, producing pen and paper to which he commits his 'memoirs'. Although we cut back to Guitry at his cafe table several times his story is told largely via his narration and follows his career from the time his entire family - all eleven members - expire after eating mushrooms picked earlier that day which turned out to be toxic and from which he, as a ten-year old is forbidden to partake as a punishment for his earlier 'stealing' a few sous from the till in the family shop. The boy draws a moral lesson from this incident namely, it doesn't pay to be honest, and then he is off and running to a career of conning and cunning. It is, of course, all done with style and charm, in fact we would have to wait for Cary Grant to replicate these qualities to the same degree in the vastly overrated piece of cheese 'To Catch A Thief'. It's unlikely that film buffs in the UK or US will have the opportunity to catch this unless it appears on video/dvd one day, as they say in France, quel dommage. 7/10
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10/10
The story of a cheat.
Boba_Fett113821 September 2008
This is a rather interesting and originally told movie. It focuses on the life of a charming scoundrel. It doesn't sound that interesting or original but its originality also really is more in the way the movie is being told. It's shot with actual little dialog on it and instead features a witty voice-over (by director/writer/main actor Sacha Guitry himself), who tells the story in an amusing way with a pleasant pace.

The movie not just begins with an introduction of the main characters but also that of some of the crew members who were involved with this movie. This already sorts of sets the tone for the rest of the movie. It's a very original and unique little movie, that due to its style and atmosphere also definitely as an highly entertaining one to watch. I wouldn't exactly call the style surrealistic and absurdism is perhaps a better word to describe the movie its style and pleasant, often subtle, comedy.

Its style always keeps the movie going and also makes this one of the faster paced movies from the '30's. It's also a reason why the movie is actually quite short, with its about 80 minutes of running time. Even though the movie basically covers the entire life span of a person, it's over before you know it.

You'll surely have a good time watching this very pleasant and highly original little film.

10/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
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6/10
Dishonor Amongst Thieves
MogwaiMovieReviews28 March 2018
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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7/10
The Story of a Cheat
jboothmillard26 February 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This was a rare title from the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, one of the few films listed that is either difficult to find or completely unavailable on DVD or online, but thank goodness I found this French film eventually. Basically on his 54th birthday, a Cheat (Sacha Guitry) is sitting in a café writing his memoirs, he recalls his experiences in life, and this is seen in flashbacks. At age 12, the young Cheat (Serge Grave) is caught stealing money from a grocery store, as punishment he is not allowed to enjoy a dinner of mushrooms with his family. These mushrooms turn out to be poisonous, everyone is shocked that he is the only survivor, while his parents, siblings, uncle and grandparents all die. His mother's unscrupulous Cousin Moriot (Pierre Labry) takes charge of him, he uses his inheritance for his own benefit, to the youngster it appears that dishonesty pays. The young Cheat runs away and works at various jobs, such as doorman and hotel bellhop. In Paris, fellow restaurant worker Serge Abramovich (Roger Duchesne) draws the unwilling young Cheat into a plot to assassinate the visiting Czar Nicholas II of Russia, however an anonymous letter (which the Cheat implies he wrote) leads to Abramovich and the other plotters being arrested. The young Cheat finds work at the Hotel de Paris in Monaco as an elevator operator, there he catches the eye of The Countess (Elmire Vautie), a much older woman, they have a fling. Coincidentally, in the present day, the elderly Countess (Marguerite Moreno) and the Cheat are reunited in the café, but to his relief, she does not recognise him. As an adult, the Cheat has a stint in the army, after this ends he decides to work as a croupier in a casino in Monaco, a profession that rewards honesty. However, he is forced to return to the French Army at the start of the First World War, he is injured almost immediately. He is rescued by fellow soldier Charbonnier (Henri Peiffert), who loses his right arm as a result, but the army loses track of the Cheat, allowing him to spend the war reading books. Now a civilian again, the Cheat meets a beautiful woman (Rosine Deréan) at a restaurant, they spend a night together, and she confesses that she is a professional thief. The woman enlists him to help in her in the theft of a valuable ring from a jeweller, though they are successful, the Cheat slips away and returns to working as a croupier. At the roulette table, attractive regular Henriette (Jacqueline Delubac) believes where the ball can land on each spin, and indeed she wins consistently over the next few days. They become partners and she shares her winnings with him, the Cheat then asks her to marry him for convenience, to which she agrees. However, Henriette loses all the money she had won before, other gamblers start winning big, leading to the Cheat being fired, ironically for being unable to cheat, then the couple obtain a quick divorce. He then becomes a professional card cheat, using numerous disguises, then one day, while in disguise, he spots his former wife and the Jewel Thief together at a gambling table, they are evidently friends. The two women are unaware of his identity when the Cheat invites them to share his bet, if he wins, he does, and they go to dinner together, the clueless women indicate they are willing to go to bed with him, he chooses his ex-wife, as they have not slept together before. Later, Charbonnier shows up at the casino, it is only being cheated at baccarat that he reveals he recognises him, fortunately they tie, but filled with shame, the Cheat decides to quit cheating. Charbonnier has unwittingly cured the Cheat of his vice, but he infects him with another, the love for gambling, therefore the Cheat loses all his ill-gotten gains in a matter of months. Back in the present day, the Countess finally recognises her former lover, she tries to recruit him to help rob the house across the street. The Cheat declines, explaining that the house was formerly his, and that since losing his fortune he has embarked on the only honest job that utilises his skills, he is a security officer. Director Sacha Guitry had made a career with work on the stage, but he proves he is capable of something cinematic, based on his own novel, it is a really clever way of creating a film. Apart from the odd dialogue scene in the café, the film consists of Guitry narrating everything, the actors simply use their facial expressions and physicality during the voiceover, this adds to the humour, and it is an interesting story of fortune, seduction and deception, a worthwhile comedy drama. Very good!
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8/10
Sacha shows us how
bob99828 October 2020
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.
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7/10
Sacha Guiltry's immensely humourous and coolest dark comedy that does not cheat with the audience at all.
SAMTHEBESTEST8 March 2021
The Story Of A Cheat (1936) : Brief Review -

Sacha Guiltry's immensely humourous and coolest dark comedy that does not cheat with the audience at all. This is perhaps the most entertaining crime comedy i have seen from 30s decades. Full of humour, brilliant screenwriting, interesting narration and what not, The Story Of A Cheat does not cheat anywhere to be blamed for. Among all the crime comedies i have seen so far from old Hollywood this one kept me hooked for entire 80 minutes including every single small dialogue such as Okay, Thank You and the Pauses as well. A charming scoundrel reflects on his exploits, from childhood through to manhood. In every stage of his life he discovers something new, something innovative that might just blow your head. For instance, there is scene from his childhood where all the family member dies and he alone survives and later he discovers a theory that he survived because he was a cheat and rest of the members died because they were honest. I couldn't stop laughing there and then gave it a thought and believe it or not it made a phenomenal right sense out of wrong theories. Sacha tries an innovative idea of telling the narrative though narration and belive me every single minute worths it. What a brilliant narration it was. I was glued to the screen throughout the runtime despite the fact that there were hardly 20 dialogues in 80 minutes runtime, rest it was all about crispy narration. It was a major breakthrough for him as a filmmaker. As an actor he justifies his role with an convincing act with lots of varieties. Bit of a flirt, few tricks, some gimmicks, nasty characteristics, wild Romance and meeting human values at the end, these all elements have been used in perfect order to make The Story Of A Cheat a brilliant film. Overall, exquisite. One of the most entertaining cheat job ever done.

RATING - 7.5/10*

By - #samthebestest
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10/10
Guitry's art as social insight
solidellew30 May 2018
Guitry's story of a cheat is an extraordinary depiction of 1936 French society.It chronicles the world of young people leaving the depressed farm areas to seek work in the isolating commerce and industry, a world that the JOC and trade unions were addressing. That two women aided the cheat in his crime shows Guitry's awareness of the problem of more women than men in the population and the consequent rise of the deplorable 'new women'. The cheat is a common place man who relinquishes his life of crime when he discovers he has cheated a man who was injured in the war by shielding the cheat. The hilarious irony in Guitry's art is that the cheat's lifetime of crime has served as an apprenticeship to an employable skill. He can earn a decent living as a security guard.
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4/10
Of only passing interest
richard-178717 September 2010
This movie is really only for Sacha Guitry fanatics. It is basically one long monologue delivered by the narrator, Guitry. We see various characters, but they almost never speak. It is as if we were watching a silent movie to which someone had added a narrative voice track.

Yes, some of that narration is mildly clever, and Guitry certainly knows how to deliver his own lines. But the plot is uninteresting, the script only passingly clever.

This is very inferior to Guitry movies like Les Perles de la couronne.

If you like Guitry's sardonic humor, you will get some pleasure out of this movie. Other than that, I don't see much of an audience for it. I myself will have forgotten it by tomorrow.

----------------------------

Two years after writing the above review, I've rewatched the movie, and I find that I still agree with what I wrote then. The whole movie is a monologue, with only occasionally funny lines. It all hangs on the sound of Guitry's voice and his delivery of his lines. Yes, he was very good at delivering his own texts. But an 80-minute monologue, and not a particularly clever one, is too much to ask of the power of his delivery or the patience of the audience. Again, really for die-hard Guitry aficionados only.
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Casino Loyale
dbdumonteil28 December 2006
I can only approve of my old pal Writer's Reign 's opinion ,who for a change wrote the very first comment."Le Roman d'un Tricheur" is an unique work ,which tends to make a reductio ab absurdum : what 's the point of being honest if honest people are chastised.

So much for the prelims: a young boy was born a very big family :12 persons in all;as he had stolen some money,he was punished and deprived of mushrooms! But they were poisonous mushrooms and the whole family but the naughty brat went to their grave .So what's the point of being honest? The whole story is told by a voice over;the form was totally new since the actors did not act ,they just mimed ,like some kind of tableaux vivants.The only scenes (two) where you find a real dialog are the ones between the hero (Guitry ,of course) and Marguerite Moreno's countess.

This is a short film (barely 80 min) but Guitry 's story is dense and includes an attempt against the life of Russian tsar Nicolas the Second , a lesson of geography about Monaco , a trip to the casinos (royale or not)where the hero tries his luck with mixed results , WW1,a sneak thief -whose methods would make Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie admire the lady-,and more ...

Guitry was often criticized in France ;they said he had an unbearable ego .Completely true:that's what made his movies so exciting.
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9/10
Absolutely delightful and drôle film
JumpingCineFile2 August 2022
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.
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4/10
This felt like a light comedy...without much comedy.
planktonrules16 February 2012
This is not my Sacha Guitry film and I know that back in the 1930s he was a sort of auteur--directing, writing and starring in a bunch of light comedies. So, I can compare this film to several of his others and see it comes up very short. The bottom line is that the film starts off with great promise but never really pays off--and at the end it just sort of fizzles.

"The Story of a Cheat" begins with Guitry sitting at an outdoor café and writing his memoirs. This ruse is used to enable him to narrate his life story for the audience. It starts off exceptionally well--with Guitry learning a lesson when very young that being bad pays off very well! This sort of tongue-in-cheek look at evil would have been great but the film never sustained this. Instead of being a true cheat, the leading man vacillated back and forth and there was never any sort of payoff for the audience. And, instead of the ending making sense of all this, it left me very cold. A clear misfire--mostly because the script needed work. Making the leading man a complete scoundrel would have improved it immensely--such as the way Terry-Thomas behaved in a few of his films such as "School for Scoundrels" or "Too Many Crooks".
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