Sénéchal le magnifique is a French film comedy first released in 1957, directed by Jean Boyer.  The film stars Fernandel, Nadia Gray, Georges Chamarat, Jeanne Aubert and Roland Armontel.  It has also been released under the title: His Greatest Role.  Our overall rating for this film is: good.


François Sénéchal, a player in a travelling theatre company, is outraged when the play he is appearing in is suddenly cancelled by its director.  Still dressed in his costume, he is mistaken for a real legionnaire and is treated like a hero wherever he goes.  The next day, when he is turned down for the part of a diplomat in another play, he finds he is mistaken for the real thing again.  He has no difficulty persuading the nobility that he is France’s consul to Honduras and he is very nearly drawn into a torrid affair with a real princess.  It suddenly occurs to François that he will have more success in life if he were to play his roles in the real world rather than on the stage…

Clearly intended to showcase the talent of its star – the much-loved horse-faced comic actor Fernandel – for playing colourful characters in O.T.T. situations, Sénéchal le magnifique also offers a sobering reflection on the precarious life of the struggling artist.  Whilst the plot’s lack of structure makes the film feel aimless and a tad over-long, the irresistible charms of its charismatic lead performer keeps the audience engaged and entertained.  Admiitedly, good jokes are pretty thin on the ground and Fernandel looks like he is having an uphill struggle trying to make up for the lack of inspiration in both the writing and direction, but the film has a certain charm and has aged better than many of Fernandel’s films.


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