René Donnio
The French version of G.W.Pabst's monumental three-language (English, French and German - separate versions each) filming of Cervantes' classic novel. The German version seems to be lost, but it is spoken of in three books, "The Film Till Now", and two of Pauline Kael's books of movie criticism.
In sixteenth century Spain, an elderly gentleman named Don Quixote has gone mad from reading too many books on chivalry...
Denise, an orphaned girl, moves to Paris where she hopes to find work at her uncle's store. But the glamorous department store 'Aux Bonheur des Dames' across the street crunches all the little businesses around. She finds a position there.
Paris, France, 1784. After living many tribulations, Joseph Balsamo, known as Count Cagliostro, an infamous adventurer, enigmatic magician and necromancer, experienced physician and ruthless swordsman, triumphs among the members of the decadent French aristocracy. But a bold foretelling about a very prominent noblewoman causes his fall in disgrace… (Partially lost film.)
The story is about a superstitious village, where the mayor has sold a tower to an unknown, who is soon suspected of being the devil.
Jean Angelo is a degenerate gambler. His losses at baccarat have bankrupted his lover, Nathalie Lissenko. When he steals four hundred thousand francs and loses that at the gambling tables, he flees to the United States, and Nathalie takes the blame. Twenty years later, she has a flourishing career as a night club singer, but their son is just as inept a gambler as his father had been.
