HENRI LANGLOIS: PHANTOM OF THE CINEMATHEQUE

***½ (three and a half stars)

Bravo.

Running time: 128 minutes. Not rated (nothing offensive). At Film Forum, Houston Street, west of Sixth Avenue.

IF Henry Langlois (1914-1977) had done nothing but save thousands of rare films from around the world during the Nazi occupation of France, he would rate a first-rate documentary like “Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinematheque.”

But Langlois did far more than spirit cans of film – sometimes in baby carriages – out of Paris and into remote monasteries, as well as mislabeling political films to throw off German soldiers intent on destroying banned films.

He founded the world’s first film archive in 1936, invented the concept of thematically programming film revivals, and provided a cradle for the French New Wave.

Godard, Truffaut, Rohmer, Chabrol and all of the other major French directors of the era spent night after night at Langlois’ screenings, which he sometimes held in his mother’s apartment.

He championed their early work – as well as that of American directors like Nicholas Ray – at the Cinematheque Francaise, which acquired government sponsorship after World War II.

When the obese and deeply eccentric Langlois inevitably clashed with bureaucrats in the 1960s, he was ousted. The now-famous filmmakers rallied to his defense, and a series of riots ended with Langlois back in charge.

This documentary’s director, Jacques Richard, includes insightful and often hilarious archival interviews with Langlois and dozens of associates, as well as wonderful footage of Langlois (who won a special Academy Award) presenting Alfred Hitchcock with France’s Legion d’honneur.

When he died, Langlois’ longtime companion and associate Mary Meerson gathered up telegrams from Hitchcock, Chaplin and other filmmakers and stuffed them in the soles of his well-worn shoes to be buried with him.

“Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinematheque” is another fitting tribute.