The Chess Player AKA Le joueur d'échecs (1938) DVD-R

Starring: Françoise Rosay, Conrad Veidt, Bernard Lancret, Micheline Francey, Paul Cambo
Directed by: Jean Dréville
Print: Black & White
Runtime: 90 minutes
Genre: Drama
Language: French (English subtitles)

*The Chess Player* (*Le joueur d’échecs*) is a 1938 French historical drama directed by Jean Dréville. The film is a remake of the 1927 silent film of the same name, which was inspired by the 1926 novel by Henry Dupuy-Mazuel. Set during the reign of Catherine the Great, the story follows a Polish toymaker who specializes in building lifesize mechanical men. He constructs a chess-playing automaton to hide a young Polish activist being hunted by occupying Russian forces. The film explores themes of ingenuity, resistance, and the complexities of political intrigue.