Un drôle de paroissien (1963)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Jean-Pierre Mocky

Writers:

Michel Sevin (novel)
Jean-Pierre Mocky (writer)

Release Date:

28 August 1963 (France)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Religion | Based On Novel

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Bourvil	...	Georges Lachaunaye
Francis Blanche	...	L'inspecteur Cucherat / Chief Insp. Cucherat
Jean Poiret	...	Raoul
Jean Yonnel	...	Mattieu Lachesnaye, le père de Georges
Jean Tissier	...	Le brigadier Bridoux
Véronique Nordey	...	Françoise Lachaunaye
Bernard Lavalette	...	Le préfet de police / Prefect of Police
Marcel Pérès	...	Raillargaud (as Marcel Perez)
Jean Galland	...	Le supérieur du collège / Bishop
Solange Certain	...	Juliette Lachaunaye, femme de Georges
Denise Péronne	...	Aunt Clair
Roger Legris	...	Le sacristain de Saint-Étienne du Mont
Guy Denancy	...	Le curé de Saint-Étienne du Mont
Richard Francoeur
Rudy Lenoir	...	L'inspecteur Quiqueville

Also Known As:

Deo gratias (France)
Heaven Sent (UK)
Light-Fingered George (USA) (poster title)
Thank Heaven for Small Favors

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Paris Studios Cinéma, Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Company:

A.T.I.C.A.

One of Bourvil's funniest. I love this little film

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Georges Lachaunaye (Bourvil) is the eldest son in an old French aristocratic family that has known better times. The once wealthy family has lost its maids and butlers and must now resort to eating in soup kitchens and is about to lose its mansion. However, because of their family name and aristocratic lineage, common jobs are beneath them. No one in the family works. Georges stumbles upon a way to make money, however, by going to the large old churches of Paris and robbing the donation boxes in their dark alcoves. Georges slowly develops the robbery of churches into an art form, using such methods as wet caramels dropped through the donation slots on a string and pulling out the attached coins. Through his efforts, the family starts getting rich again. However, a doggedly determined police inspector who specializes in church collection box robberies gets hot on his trail. This little film is extremely funny and entertaining and has wonderful comedic performances, especially by Jean Yonnel, the elderly father of the once-wealthy family. This movie could probably never be the object of a remake in the United States, due to its outrageous plot about lazy aristocrats resorting to the robbery of churches to reclaim their lost wealth. But it's quite funny in French, and one of Bourvil's best films, along with Le Corniaud, La Grande Vadrouille and La Cuisine Au Beurre and may actually be his best work as a comedic actor.