Les Cent Livres des Hommes
The Hundred Books of Men
June 7, 1970
17Episodes
Les Cent Livres des Hommes (ORTF, 1969-1973) was a series of literary programs created by Claude Santelli and Françoise Verny, and produced notably by Santelli, Jean Archimbaud, and Serge Moati. Planned for one hundred episodes but completed at thirty-nine, the series aimed to introduce great literary works, 'chefs-d’œuvre', to a younger audience through a mix of dramatization, reading, and documentary techniques. It marked a transfer of cultural legitimacy from writers and critics to a generation of television producers, offering a new model of educational and creative literary broadcasting - 'télévision d’auteur'.
Episodes
1. Le Petit Prince de Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
June 7, 1970
33 min
'The Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. An introduction to the poetic and philosophical universe of Saint-Exupéry, blending analysis and adaptation of his masterpiece.
Guest Stars:
Pierre Mondy, Éric Damain, Pierre Vaneck, Victor Guyot
2. Le Petit Chose
February 3, 1971
'Little Good-For-Nothing' or 'Little What's-His-Name' by Alphonse Daudet.
Guest Stars:
Alain Libolt, Jacques Echantillon, René Alone, Françoise Bertin, Paul Mercey
3. Le Noeud de vipères
April 7, 1971
50 min
'The Knot of Vipers' by François Mauriac. A reading of Mauriac's novel that combines personal accounts with adapted scenes.
Guest Stars:
Jean-Pierre Bagot, Philippe Brigaud, Philippe Laudenbach, Jean Puyberneau, Barbara Boutet
4. La Chartreuse de Parme
November 17, 1971
75 min
'The Charterhouse of Parma' by Stendhal.
Guest Stars:
Alain Libolt, Elia Clermont, Gérald Denizot, Brigitte Fossey, Michel Vitold
5. Du côté de chez Swann
December 22, 1971
'Swann's Way' by Marcel Proust.
Guest Stars:
Marie-Christine Barrault, Germaine de France, Isabelle Huppert, Dominique Rozan, Gabriel Cattand
6. A la recherche du temps perdu
December 22, 1971
60 min
A realistic and poetic evocation of Marcel Proust's 'In Search of Lost Time.' Halfway between an audiovisual adaptation and a portrait of the dandyish and reclusive writer, all in black and white by Claude Santelli, evoking the mystery, the intimacy, and the fatalism of existence.
Guest Stars:
Marie-Christine Barrault, Germaine de France, Isabelle Huppert, Dominique Rozan, Gabriel Cattand
7. Martin Eden
January 24, 1972
51 min
'Martin Eden' by Jack London. Claude Santelli and Jean-Louis Muller interview Professor Las Vergnas, a specialist in American literature, who contextualises the book within the author's entire body of work and life. Then, Maurice Le Goas, a labor activist, shares his experience of Jack London's influence on him.
Guest Stars:
Madeleine Callergis, Nicolas Silberg, Maureen Kerwin, Professor Las Vergnas
8. Le portrait de Socrate
January 26, 1972
60 min
The portrait of Socrates.
Guest Stars:
Jean-Claude Amyl, Michael Lonsdale, Nicolas Silberg, Dominique Leverd, Fred Personne
9. L'exode
February 23, 1972
The biblical Book of Exodus.
Guest Stars:
Jean-Luc Boutté, Henri Nassiet, Andrée Tainsy, Marcel d'Orval, Jacques Seiler
10. Les Souffrances du jeune Werther
March 22, 1972
60 min
'The Sorrows of Young Werther' by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Guest Stars:
Charles David, Alice Reichen, Patrick Verde, France Dougnac, Jean-Pierre Sentier
11. L'île mystérieuse
April 15, 1972
'The Mysterious Island' by Jules Verne.
Guest Stars:
Pierre Dux, Michel Etcheverry
12. L'Enfance de Gorky
April 26, 1972
55 min
'My Childhood' by Maxim Gorky.
Guest Stars:
Elisabeth Alain, Jacques Bouvier, Marcel Champel, Marc Eyraud, Gilles Laurent
13. Gargantua
May 24, 1972
60 min
'Gargantua' by François Rabelais.
Guest Stars:
Jacques Alric, Georges Audoubert, Hubert Deschamps, Sébastien Floche, Maurice Risch
14. Jude l'Obscur
July 26, 1972
30 min
'Jude the obscure' by Thomas Hardy.
Guest Stars:
Marcelle Barreau, Anne Deleuze, Hugues Quester, Marcel Cuvelier, Viviane Elbaz
15. Robinson Crusoe
December 20, 1972
60 min
'Robinson Crusoe' by Daniel Defoe.
Guest Stars:
Jean-Luc Boutté, Pierre Saintons, Jean-Roger Caussimon
16. Histoire de la Révolution
July 30, 1973
'History of the Revolution' by Jules Michelet.
Guest Stars:
Philippe Adrien, Julien Guiomar, Hélène Vallier, Alexandre Arcady, Martin Trévières
17. Alice aux pays des merveilles
December 28, 1973
60 min
'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll. This program explores Wonderland from every angle: iconic scenes in which Brigitte Fossey portrays a mischievous Alice, readings by Claude Rich, and analyses of the 'delirious metaphysics' of this great literary classic. Lewis Carroll's universe never ceases to amaze!
Guest Stars:
Claude Rich, Brigitte Fossey, Catherine Larre, Xavier Depraz, Pierre Vernier