Summary
Casimir and Irénée work in their uncle’s grocer’s shop in a Provençal
village. Whilst Casimir sticks to his job, Irénée only dreams of becoming
a film star. When a film company arrives in the area, Irénée seizes
the opportunity and asks for a job as an actor. The film production team are amused
by the pretensions of this "schpountz" (a naïve fool who sees himself as a film star)
and they offer him a false contract with a studio in Paris. Believing that stardom
awaits him, Irénée sets out for Paris...
Review
Marcel Pagnol uses this engaging comic farce as an effective vehicle with which to satirise
the film industry. In the role of the star-struck country boy is Fernandel,
one of France’s greatest film comics, and in this film he gives one of his best performances,
playing one of the major roles in his distinguished career. Few directors were able
to use Fernandel as effectively as Pagnol, and the comedy is brilliantly mingled with
pathos, something which suits Fernandel’s child-like air of innocence very well indeed.
The film’s origin is itself quite amusing. During the making of Pagnol’s earlier
film, Angèle, the production team were hassled by member of the public who
believed he was destined to become a great film actor. To get rid of him, the production
team gave him a false contract in which he would take over the role of Charles Boyer in
a film. From this amusing incident, Pagnol developed the scenario for what would
become Le Schpountz.
The film, popular at the time and still fondly remembered, was remade in 1998 by French
director Gérard Oury.
© James Travers 2001
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