Les Tortillards (1960)

Les Tortillards is a French film comedy first released in 1960, directed by Jean Bastia.  The film stars Jean Richard, Roger Pierre, Louis de Funès, Nicky Valor and Danièle Lebrun.  Our overall rating for this film is: mediocre.


Émile Durand, an insecticide manufacturer, is appalled to learn that his son Gérard has fallen in love with Suzy, the daughter of a travelling theatre company.  Realising his father will never favour the union, Gérard joins the company on their next tour. In an attempt to heal the rift, Durand’s wife goes after Gérard and ends up performing in their next play…

This routine comedy has very little to commend it other than another brilliant comic turn from Louis de Funès.  Here, the great comic actor appears to have perfected the character with which he would become best known in the following decade, the mean, tyrannical company director.  The rest of the film – a tired plot involving a talentless band of theatricals – is instantly forgettable.

© James Travers 2006

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