Review of Quadrille (1938) by Walter M — 02 Feb 2013

Seeking to get his significant other Paulette(Gaby Morlay), an actress, out of her professional rut, Philippe(Sacha Guitry, who also wrote and directed), a newspaper editor, arranges to interview Carl Erickson(George Gray), a visiting Hollywood star. Once at Carl's hotel suite, Philippe is surprised to find Claudine(Jacqueline Delubac), a young freelance writer and a friend, already there. While she asks the questions, he arranges for Carl to see a production of the play that Paulette is starring in. However, what was once professional, soon quickly turns personal.

"Quadrille" is not bad, per se, just not as good as other Sacha Guitry movies I have seen recently, as his light touch does not work well with the kind of Hollywood type melodrama he is trying to make here. Even with the missed opportunity to say anything meaningful about the nature of fame, this is still the kind of sophisticated entertainment rarely made these days with adult references to people being together but not married, as that could quite possibly ruin everything. In any case, the rules of jealousy still apply.