Summary
Despite the best efforts of its commander, Captain Hurluret, the
barracks of the 51st Rifles has yet to be acquainted with the notion of
military discipline. One hapless soldier, Vanderague, tries in
vain to reconcile the contradictory orders of his
superiors. Fricot and Laplotte, two of life’s natural
rebels, are endlessly on work detail, although they create more mess
than they tidy up. As his fellow officer, the over-zealous
adjutant Flick, busts a gut trying to instil some semblance of order
into the regiment, Hurluret opts for a more peaceful life, overlooking
the odd misdemeanour and steadying his nerves with the occasional glass
of absinthe. But trouble is coming, in the guise of an important
visiting general, and Hurluret can no longer get away with running the
barracks as if it were a holiday camp. When a party of
reservists turns up unexpectedly, there are not enough beds to
accommodate them and so Hurluret has no choice but to have several of
his soldiers put in jail. As if that was not enough, a block of
cheese is stolen and two men decide to desert. When the general
arrives, Hurluret half suspects that his career may be over...
Review
Georges Courteline’s popular novel of 1886 was the inspiration for this
boisterous military farce, one of the most memorable French film
comedies of the 1930s. The film’s main claim to fame is that it
brings together three of the most important screen talents of the
decade, Raimu, Fernandel and Jean Gabin, all at the start of their
prolific film careers. Of these three, Raimu was the biggest star
at the time, an established stage actor who had recently found national
fame through his portrayal of César in Alexander Korda’s film
adaptation of Marcel Pagnol’s play Marius (1931). Fernandel
and Gabin had each appeared in around half a dozen films, but it would
be a few years yet before they made it big. By the end of the
decade, all three actors would be living legends in their own country.
The film was directed with customary flair by Maurice Tourneur, a highly regarded filmmaker who is better known today for his atmospheric dramas, such as Volpone (1941) and La Main du diable (1943), than his popular comedies. Tourneur had previously made a silent version of Les Gaietés de l’escadron in 1913 with Louis Gouget. In that earlier film, the part of Fricot was played by Henry Roussell, who appears in the 1932 version as the visiting general. Tourneur was not a great fan of Fernandel at first but warmed to him during the making of this film. Eager to make better use of Fernandel’s comedic talents and convinced that he was destined for stardom, Tourneur cast him in the lead role in a follow-up short to this film, Lidoire (1933). The editing was undertaken by the director’s son, Jacques, who would go on to lead a successful filmmaking career in Hollywood, helming such classics as Cat People (1942) and I Walked with a Zombie (1943).
Les Gaietés de l’escadron exemplifies the kind of well-made ensemble comedy that was popular in France in the 1930s. It also illustrates the country’s ambivalence towards its military, which, as this film testifies, serves as an object of affectionate ridicule. For decades, French audiences found great delight in laughing at the absurdities of army life, other notable examples including Jean Renoir’s Le Caporal épinglé (1962), the Charlots’ Les Bidasses en folie (1971) and Robert Lamoureux’s Mais où est donc passée la septième compagnie? (1973). Whilst the genre has its equivalent in British and American cinema, nowhere is military authority lampooned with such vigour and vehemence as in these French comedies. When it comes to lifting two fingers up to authority, the French are unsurpassed.
© James Travers 2010
Write a review for this film...
The film was directed with customary flair by Maurice Tourneur, a highly regarded filmmaker who is better known today for his atmospheric dramas, such as Volpone (1941) and La Main du diable (1943), than his popular comedies. Tourneur had previously made a silent version of Les Gaietés de l’escadron in 1913 with Louis Gouget. In that earlier film, the part of Fricot was played by Henry Roussell, who appears in the 1932 version as the visiting general. Tourneur was not a great fan of Fernandel at first but warmed to him during the making of this film. Eager to make better use of Fernandel’s comedic talents and convinced that he was destined for stardom, Tourneur cast him in the lead role in a follow-up short to this film, Lidoire (1933). The editing was undertaken by the director’s son, Jacques, who would go on to lead a successful filmmaking career in Hollywood, helming such classics as Cat People (1942) and I Walked with a Zombie (1943).
Les Gaietés de l’escadron exemplifies the kind of well-made ensemble comedy that was popular in France in the 1930s. It also illustrates the country’s ambivalence towards its military, which, as this film testifies, serves as an object of affectionate ridicule. For decades, French audiences found great delight in laughing at the absurdities of army life, other notable examples including Jean Renoir’s Le Caporal épinglé (1962), the Charlots’ Les Bidasses en folie (1971) and Robert Lamoureux’s Mais où est donc passée la septième compagnie? (1973). Whilst the genre has its equivalent in British and American cinema, nowhere is military authority lampooned with such vigour and vehemence as in these French comedies. When it comes to lifting two fingers up to authority, the French are unsurpassed.
© James Travers 2010
Write a review for this film...
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Related links
- The best French comedies
- Other French films of the 1930s
- The best French films of the 1930s
- Other French comedies
- Biography and films of Maurice Tourneur
To buy this film
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Credits
- Director: Maurice Tourneur
- Script: Georges Courteline (novel), Georges Dolley, Edouard Nores, Maurice Tourneur
- Photo: Raymond Agnel, René Colas
- Cast: Raimu (Hurluret), Henry Roussel (Le general) Fernandel (Venderague), Jean Gabin (Fricot), Roland Armontel (Barchetti), Lucien Nat (Barnot), Paul Azaïs (Croquebol), Mady Berry (Madame Bijou), Georges Bever (La Guillaumette), Pierre Dac (Ledru), Jacqueline Brizard (La blanchisseuse), Charles Camus (Flick), Julien Carette (Un cavalier), René Donnio (Laplote), Pierre Ferval (Vergisson), Pierre Labry (Potiron), Geo Laby (Peplat), Marcel Lutrand (Favret), Marcel Magnat (Laigrepin), Frédéric Munié (Mousseret), Ketty Pierson (La charcutiere)
- Country: France
- Language: French
- Runtime: 85 min; B&W
- Aka: Fun in Barracks
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Comedy / War






