The Little Bather (1968)
"Le petit baigneur" (original title)

Louis-Philippe Fourchaume, another typical lead-role for French comedy superstar Louis de Funès, is the dictatorial CEO of a French company which designs and produces sail yachts, and fires... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Dhéry

Writers:

Claude Clément (collaborator on screenplay), Robert Dhéry (original screenplay),

Stars:

Louis de Funès, Andréa Parisy, Franco Fabrizi

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Louis de Funès	...	Louis-Philippe Fourchaume
Andréa Parisy	...	Marie-Béatrice Fourchaume
Franco Fabrizi	...	Marcello Cacciaperotti
Michèle Alexandre	...	L'épouse du ministre
Nicole Vervil	...	La mère du petit Francis
Robert Rollis	...	Un marin
Georges Adet	...	Le gardien du chantier
Philippe Dumat	...	Le joueur de tambour de la fanfare
Gérard Calvi	...	Le chef de la fanfare
Roger Caccia	...	L'organiste
Hélène Dieudonné	...	La garde-barrière
Pierre Tornade	...	Le gardien de phare
Pierre Dac	...	Le ministre
Henri Génès	...	Le paysan (as Henri Genès)
Jacques Legras	...	Henri Castagnier (le curé)

Storyline

Louis-Philippe Fourchaume, another typical lead-role for French comedy superstar Louis de Funès, is the dictatorial CEO of a French company which designs and produces sail yachts, and fires in yet another tantrum his designer André Castagnier, not realizing that man is his only chance to land a vital contract with the Italian magnate Marcello Cacciaperotti. So he has to find him at his extremely rural birthplace in 'la France profonde', which proves a torturous odyssey for the spoiled rich man; when he does get there his torment is far from over: the country bumpkin refuses to resume his slavish position now the shoe is on the other foot, so Fourchaume is dragged along in the boorish family life, and at times unable to control his temper, which may cost him more credit then he painstakingly builds up...

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Plot Keywords:

contract | france | italian | boat yard | drawing mustache on picture | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French Italian

Release Date:

22 March 1968 (France)

Also Known As:

The Little Bather

Filming Locations:

Azille, Aude, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films Corona, Les Films Copernic, Fono Roma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Dhéry is not credited in the main cast section, but as actor together with his directing credit.

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Connections

Referenced in Pastewka: Die Strategie der Schnecke (2006)

User Reviews

A guilty pleasure

Saw this movie many times in my childhood. Always a pleasure to see it once in a while.

Castagnier, a sailboat designer, wins the San Remo boat race with a revolutionary model. However, his boss, Fourchaume, a rather irate man more focused on money than awards, fires him for negligence about a poorly built yacht. However, the Italian San Remo boat-race organizer came to tell Fourchaume that the boat won and wanted copies to be built. It's now up to him to go to the Castagnier's seaside village and convince to come back, but with a master plan to take all advantage of the situation.

Lots of in-jokes (among one, the Castagniers are all redheads, even the priest), gags aplenty (the guy in the floating back-house, the walk up a tall lighthouse, the church which is crumbling, etc...), and Louis De Funes performance as Fourchaume are the must to see in this movie.

Robert Dhéry takes top billing for starring, directing and writing, but Louis De Funes takes the show here...