Les Robots pensants (1976)

The young pianist Penny Vanderwood (Claude Jade) realizes that a robot belonging to Count Saint-Germain plays chess in the same way as her late fiancé, Robert Tournon. She persuades her friend Lewis Armeight to open Robert’s coffin with her, but it is empty. Penny then sets out to unravel the mystery and follows the count’s trail. In this fantastic story, adapted from the short story “Thinking Robots,” a chess-playing automaton embarks on a contemporary adventure. Alone on the stage of a provincial theater, Penny Vanderwood is rehearsing for her upcoming piano recital. A middle-aged man has slipped into the hall and is watching the young woman. As soon as she finishes playing, he applauds at length. “I have long dreamed of inventing a piano-playing automaton, and when I saw you, I knew it had to look like you.” The stranger leaves Penny his business card: “Count of Saint-Germain, creator of automatons.” The day after her recital, Penny reads the flattering article about her in the newspaper. Her attention is drawn to another, rather astonishing article announcing a championship in which the city’s best chess players will face a mysterious, unbeatable automaton presented by Count Saint-Germain... Intrigued, Penny decides to extend her stay so she can attend the tournament. In the hall where it is being held, the atmosphere is tense. The robot’s opponent is visibly ill at ease.