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L'Homme des Folies-Bergère
1936 Musical / Comedy
Review
By the mid-1930s, Maurice Chevalier had become one of the most popular
of French chansonniers, and one of a handful to have a large
international following. He was therefore a highly attractive
proposition to the Hollywood film studios, who were quick to capitalise
on his talent and charisma. Having made Folies Bergère de Paris,
an English language musical comedy with Chevalier in the leading role,
Twentieth Century Pictures immediately followed this up with a similar
film, made specifically for a French audience. That film, L’Homme des Folies-Bergere,
employed the same sets and production team, and most of the cast of the
first film. The main difference was the replacement of the female
lead Merle Oberon by Natalie Paley. The plot is what you would expect for a 1930s farce, a muddled imbroglio revolving around a case of mistaken identity. It isn’t original, nor is it particularly funny, but Chevalier’s sympathetic performance and uplifting songs keep us amused and entertained. What sells the film are the extravagant musical numbers at the top and tail of the film, which are clearly inspired by Busby Berkeley’s legendary work on such films as Gold Diggers of 1933. © James Travers 2009 Write a review for this film...User Comments
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Director:
Marcel Achard, Roy Del Ruth
Starring: Maurice Chevalier, Natalie Paley, Sim Viva, Fernand Ledoux, Ferdinand Gottschalk Synopsis
Eugène Charlier is a popular musical hall singer whose main act
involves him impersonating Baron Cassini, one of France’s most important
bankers. When the real Cassini learns that he is facing financial
ruin, he hurries off to London to try to secure a loan. In his
absence, his associates hire Charlier to impersonate him, in a
desperate attempt to keep the baron’s present misfortunes from his
creditors. Unfortunately, the identity swap has a number of
unintended consequences, one being that Cassini’s wife falls
head-over-heels in love with Charlier...
Credits
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© filmsdefrance.com 2009