Désiré (1937)

Désiré is a French film comedy first released in 1937, directed by Sacha Guitry.  The film stars Sacha Guitry, Jacqueline Delubac, Jacques Baumer and Pauline Carton.  Our overall rating for this film is: very good.


Désiré seems to be the ideal valet de chambre – dutiful, hard-working and discreet.  But he has one fatal flaw: his female employers find him impossibly irresistible.  Time and again he finds himself on the receiving end of their ardent amorous attentions.  Each time it is the same story: they fall in love with him, he becomes hopelessly distressed and is forced to give notice.  The unfortunate Désiré hopes that things will be different with his new employer, Odette Cléry.  This time, however, it is he who falls in love with his mistress...

Sacha Guitry based this film on one of his most popular comic plays, in which he took the leading role, playing a love-struck domestic servant.  Cited as one of Guitry’s best written films, Désiré includes some of his most memorable dialogue, showing both his mastery of language and his keenness of observation.   Some inspired cinematography makes this anything but a bland film version of a theatrical production, whilst the talented cast (headed by Guitry, himself an accomplished actor) turn in some fine comic performances.

© James Travers 2003

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