Raymond Bernard in the twenties was the director of three magnificent historical epics comparable in artistry to Volkoff's Casanova (shown in February). In his book French Cinema: The First Wave (1984), Richard Abel analyzes at length Le Miracle des loups (Miracle of the Wolves, 1924) and Joueur d'echecs (Chess Player, 1927), but reports, "Bernard...considered Tarakanova his best film by far, but no print has been rediscovered to confirm or deny his judgment." Now that a print has been located and preserved by the Cinémathèque Française, it can be considered one of the major rediscoveries in our series. Cinematography by Jules Kruger (whose credits include Gance's Napoleon and Duvivier's Pepe le Moko), and costumes by Boris Bilinsky (Casanova) promise a great deal indeed. The film "returned to the world of Catherine II's court (subject of Joueur d'echecs) to narrate the tragic end of Elizabeth Tarakanova (Edith Jehanne), a young pretender to the throne, and her lover Prince Orloff (Olaj Fjord), Catherine's court favorite. Wishing only to punish Orloff by separating him from Tarakanova, the Empress inadvertently sends him off to die with his love" (Abel). Shot in 1929, editing was held up by several months so that the film could be released in a sonorized version, which we present tonight.