''Two Timid Souls'' (french: Les Deux Timides) is a 1928 French silent film comedy directed by

René Clair René Clair (11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette, was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. He wen ...

, and based on the 1860 play ''Les Deux Timides'' by

Eugène Labiche Eugene is a common male given name that comes from the Greek εὐγενής (''eugenēs''), "noble", literally "well-born", from εὖ (''eu''), "well" and γένος (''genos''), "race, stock, kin".Films Albatros Films Albatros was a French film production company established in 1922. It was formed by a group of White émigré, White Russian exiles who had been forced to flee following the 1917 Russian Revolution and subsequent Russian Civil War. Initially ...

production company.McGerr p.224 The sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

Lazare Meerson Lazare Meerson (1900–1938) was a Russian-born cinema art director. After emigrating to France in the early 1920s, he worked on French films of the late silent cinema and the early 1930s, particularly those directed by René Clair and Jacques Fe ...

Plot

A very shy lawyer, Fremissin, is tasked with defending Garadoux, a man charged rightfully with beating his wife. Fremissin gets nervous at the trial, and ends up demanding the harshest possible sentence for Garadoux, making him spend several months in prison. After a few years, Fremissin has fallen in love with a woman (Cecile Thibaudier). Garadoux sees this and tries to seduce her to get back at Fremissin for getting him sent to prison. Garadoux abuses Fremissin's timid nature, in hilarious acts like posing as a bandit and leaving him disturbing notes telling him not to leave home. After various trials, and meeting his shy counterpart in Cecile's father, Fremissin finally gets to Cecile in time to ask for her hand in marriage, and has a big fight with the Thibaudier and Garadoux family. He then defends the Thibaudier family successfully in court.

Cast

Pierre Batcheff Pierre Batcheff (Russian: Пьер Батчефф; 23 June 1901? – 13 April 1932) was a French actor of Russian origin. He became a popular film actor from the mid-1920s until the early 1930s, and among his best-known work was the surrealist sh ...

as Fremissin *

Jim Gérald Jim Gérald (4 July 1889 – 2 July 1958) was a French actor. Gérald was born Gérald Ernest Cuénod in Paris. He died in Paris in 1958. Selected filmography * ''La légende de soeur Béatrix'' (1923) - Un soudard * ''The Imaginary Voyage' ...

as Garadoux *

Véra Flory Véra Flory (1907–2006) was a German-born French film actress of the silent and early sound eras. Powrie & Rebillard p.226 Selected filmography * ''Two Timid Souls'' (1928) * ''Cousin Bette'' (1928) * ''The Feather'' (1929) * '' The Unknown Da ...

as Cecile Thibaudier *

Maurice de Féraudy Maurice de Féraudy (born in Joinville-le-Pont on December 3, 1859 - died in Paris May 12, 1932) was a French songwriter, stage and film director, and actor at the Comédie-Française. He was the father of actor Jacques de Féraudy. Life and caree ...

as Thibaudier *

Françoise Rosay Françoise Rosay (; born Françoise Bandy de Nalèche; 19 April 1891 – 28 March 1974) was a French opera singer, diseuse,''Design'', Volume 9 1965 p. 24 and actress who enjoyed a film career of over sixty years and who became a legendary figure ...

as The aunt *

Madeleine Guitty Madeleine Guitty (5 June 1870 – 12 April 1936) was a French stage and film actress.Crisp p.93 Selected filmography * ''The Mysteries of Paris'' (1922) * '' Madame Sans-Gêne'' (1925) * ''Montmartre'' (1925) * '' 600,000 Francs a Month'' (1926) ...

as The maid *

Yvette Andréyor Yvette Andréyor (born Yvette Louise Pauline Royé, 6 August 1891 – 30 October 1962) was a French actress most popular in the era of silent film. She appeared in more than 100 films between 1910 and 1962. Biography Yvette Louise Pauline R ...

as Mme. Garadoux *

Léon Larive Léon François Larive (28 June 1886 – 20 July 1961) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 90 films between 1923 and 1961. Selected filmography * ''Two Timid Souls'' (1928) * ''The Great Passion'' (1928) * ''La Passion de Jea ...

Anna Lefeuvrier Anna Lefeuvrier (1888–1954) was a French film actress.Powrie & Rebillard p.226 Selected filmography * ''Jean Chouan'' (1926) * '' The Crystal Submarine'' (1927) * ''Two Timid Souls'' (1928) * '' Night Shift'' (1932) * '' The Wonderful Day'' ...

Louis Pré Fils Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis (d ...

* Antoine Stacquet *

Odette Talazac Odette Talazac (1883–1948) was a French film actress.Capua p.129 Talazac was the daughter of tenor Jean-Alexandre Talazac and his wife, the soprano Hélène Fauvelle. She began her career singing in music halls before turning to the theater an ...

References

Bibliography

* Celia McGerr. ''René Clair''. Twayne Publishers, 1980.

External links

* French silent feature films 1928 films 1928 comedy films Films directed by René Clair French black-and-white films French comedy films Silent comedy films 1920s French films {{1920s-France-film-stub