Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire (1972)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Yves Robert

Writers:

Yves Robert (writer)
Francis Veber (writer)

Release Date:

30 August 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery

Plot:

Hapless orchestra player becomes an unwitting pawn of rival factions within the French secret service...

Plot Keywords:

French | Agent | Secret Service | Secret Agent | Comic

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Pierre Richard	...	François Perrin
Bernard Blier	...	Bernard Milan
Jean Rochefort	...	Le colonel Louis Marie Alphonse Toulouse
Mireille Darc	...	Christine
Colette Castel	...	Paulette
Jean Obé	...	Botrel
Robert Castel	...	Georghiu
Jean Saudray	...	Poucet
Roger Caccia	...	M. Boudart
Maurice Barrier	...	Chaperon
Robert Dalban	...	Le faux livreur
Arlette Balkis
Tania Balachova
Paul Le Person	...	Perrache
Jean Carmet	...	Maurice

Also Known As:

Follow That Guy with the One Black Shoe (UK)
The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (USA)

Runtime:

USA:90 min | Argentina:90 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Company:

Gaumont

Movie Connections:

Remade as The Man with One Red Shoe (1985)

INCROYABLE!

This is one of the funniest films I've ever seen. Pierre Richard is HILARIOUS! The script is tight as a mosquito's leotard and the action unrelenting. The story, based in part on a serious of government agencies play SPY vs. SPY games and bureaucratic CYA, arbitrarily pick a fall guy for their foil and who better than a musician hooked on modern music. The amazing thing is Richard's apartment where the walls are covered with pictures of modern composers, dominated by a huge picture of Stravinsky. And, the riotious aside when he tells the girl trying to pump information from him that he has a "secret." When all of the spying evesdroppers stretch their ears to hear, he announces, "Je compose." Is this some new code? They look from one another as Pierre takes his violin and warns, "Mais, elle est moderne," and launches into a chromatic allegro ala Stravinsky. The movie goes on with great slapstick abetted by the marvelous timing of Richard who is rivalled only by Peter Sellars in that means. As the other reviewer noted, there was a decent American version with Tom Hanks, who played the part a lot more low key than Richard. I've seen this movie more than a dozen times and plan to see it again soon. Each time I find some new twist that gives me an extra tickle. Check it out! On s'amuse assez avec ce film-ci!