Le Grand blond avec une chaussure noire
1972 Comedy / Thriller
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Credits
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Summary
The chief of the French secret service, Louis Toulouse, is more preoccupied with fending
off his rival, Milan, than with the machinations of enemy agents. Determined to
rid himself of his rival, he devises an ingenious plan, which involves sending him after
a man randomly chosen in a crowd of people. The man, Milan is informed,
is a dangerous spy, who must be apprehended at all costs. In reality, he is François
Perrin, a harmless, bumbling musician. Perrin’s ineptitude convinces Milan
that he is indeed a clever and dangerous secret agent...
Review
This popular and entertaining comedy thriller established Pierre Richard as one of France’s
leading comic actors in the 1970s, and his character, François Perrin, would reappear
a number of times in other films over the following decade. The film’s screenplay
was written by Francis Veber, who went on to win acclaim for his further scripting and
directoral work, on such films as La
Cage aux folles (1979) and La
Chèvre (1981).
Well-written and well-paced, Le Grand blond avec une chaussure noire is a fine example of the French film comedy. The film’s success guaranteed a sequel in 1974, Le Retour du grand blond. It also inspired a rather uninspired American re-make, entitled The Man with One Red Shoe (1985), starring Tom Hanks. © James Travers 2002 Write a review for this film... |
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