Has there been a filmmaker quite as winsome, as thoroughly knowing and wise, as René Clair (1898-1981)? During the prime of his career, roughly between the late 1920s and the ’40s, Clair was held in high esteem by his peers. Orson Welles dubbed him “a real master” and Charlie Chaplin thought the world of Clair’s “À Nous la Liberté” (1931) — so much so that when “Modern Times” came down the pike four years later, Clair’s production company sued for plagiarism.

Clair didn’t want any part of the lawsuit, though his demurral was pointed: “I know that Chaplin has seen ‘À Nous la Liberté.’ It is enough to look at his film.” Chaplin denied any knowledge of the Clair picture, but eventually agreed to an out-of-court settlement.