Sérénade au Texas (1958) - film review

Jacques Gardel, a modest record seller, can hardly believe his good fortune when a notary, Jérôme Quilleboeuf, tells him that he has inherited an enormous oil field in Texas.  Eager to take possession of his newfound wealth, Jacques immediately sets out for Texas, accompanied by Quilleboeuf.  When they arrive, they receive a far from friendly welcome from the locals...

With Le Chanteur de Mexico proving to be one of the biggest hits of the French box office in 1956, it was inevitable that its two stars - the singer Luis Mariano and comic actor Bourvil - would be brought together for a rematch.  Unfortunately, in the rush to score another hit, the storyline appears to have been completely overlooked.  The resulting film, Sérénade au Texas, is little more than a series of musical numbers tagged onto the thinnest and most contrived of plots.  Richard Pottier’s direction leaves a great deal to be desired and judging from the film’s leaden pace and lacklustre staging you can see that Pottier was as bored with it as his audience will be when watching it.  One of the great misfires of 1950s French cinema, Sérénade au Texas is recommended only for diehard fans of Mariano who are adept at using the fast-forward facility on their DVD remote control.

© Mark Evans (Oxford, England) 2011

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