SCREENING ROOM

With his beautiful voice, bedroom eyes and passionate demeanor, Charles Boyer was the epitome of the romantic Frenchman -- in fact, he was the inspiration for the beloved Looney Tunes character Pepe Le Pew. Now, Boyer is the subject of the retrospective The Discreet Charm of Charles Boyer, running Friday through July 29 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Opening the tribute are two of Boyer’s most romantic films: 1939’s “Love Affair” with Irene Dunne (above), and 1941’s “Hold Back the Dawn,” which stars Olivia de Havilland and was co-written by Billy Wilder. On tap for Saturday is a new print of 1934’s “Liliom,” the only French film directed by Fritz Lang, in which Boyer excels as a carnival barker who is shot and killed during a robbery. Rounding out the Saturday bill is the terrific 1948 courtroom drama, “A Woman’s Vengeance,” directed by Zoltan Korda (lacma.org). . . . Writer-director Blake Edwards, who is celebrating his 86th birthday this year, is being feted with a two-week retrospective at the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre. It starts tonight with the lovely 1961 “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” featuring Audrey Hepburn in her Oscar-nominated turn as Holly Golightly and Henry Mancini’s Academy Award-winning standard “Moon River.” Also in the series: the sidesplittingly funny “The Pink Panther” on Friday. . . . The Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre explores the world of Italian Grindhouse: Assault of the Deadly Celluloid, kicking off Friday with a spaghetti western double feature: 1966’s “The Big Gundown” and 1972’s “Cutthroats Nine.” (americancinematheque.com). . . . Former stripper turned Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody (“Juno”) is this month’s weekend guest programmer at the New Beverly Cinema. Screening Friday and Saturday are 2006’s “Thank You for Smoking,” helmed by “Juno” director Jason Reitman, and the 1981 comedy classic “Stripes,” directed by his father, Ivan Reitman (newbevcinema.com).

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-- Susan.King@latimes.com