Un Carnet de Bal

Boasting an exceptional cast and Maurice Jaubert's haunting melody, Valse Grise, this episodic drama won the Coupe Mussolini at Venice and earned its director, Julien Duvivier, an invitation to Hollywood. Marie Bell holds centre stage as a widow who decides to trace the men with whom she danced at her first ball. Naturally, the majority have strayed from the straight and narrow, giving each encounter its socio-symbolic tone. But there's also plenty of humour and an affecting finale. With Harry Baur's mad monk, Fernandel's hairdresser, Louis Jouvet's lowlife and Raimu's amoral mayor all exemplary, this is an old-fashioned showcase to treasure.