L'Héritier des Mondésir (1940)
Directed by Albert Valentin

Film Review

The fact that it was scripted by the legendary screenwriting team of Jean Aurenche and Pierre Bost pretty well guaranteed that L'Héritier des Mondésir would be one of Fernandel's more respectable comedy vehicles, although what really sells it is the memorable pairing of the horse-faced comedian with Jules Berry, an actor with even less understanding of the word 'restraint'.  Here Fernandel demonstrates his skill and versatility as an actor (something he rarely did until the 1950s) by taking on a multitude of roles, each representing a different period in history.  It is a stunt he would pull off again in Le Mouton à cinq pattes (1954), providing the soundest case yet against the cloning of human beings.

It's the usual knockabout farce that audiences (apparently) adored in the 1930s and 40s, with Fernandel's pathological goofiness providing most of the laughs as the plot weaves its all too predictable course down well-worn avenues.  By this stage in his career, Jules Berry had become a walking self-parody but he gives great entertainment value as the turban-wearing charlatan who subjects Fernandel to the old Svengali routine, assisted by the eye-catching Elvire Popesco.  Made in Germany not long before Hitler invaded Poland, L'Héritier des Mondésir appears blithely oblivious to the momentous events that would overtake the world before its release in May 1940.

Film Synopsis

When the old Baron of Mondésir dies, he leaves his entire estate to his illegitimate son Bien-Aimé, the village postman. The baron's former mistress Erika is not pleased when Bien-Aimé drives her away from his château and immediately seeks the help of a charlatan fortune teller, Waldemar.  The latter plays on Bien-Aimé's gullibility and persuades him that Erika is his 'astral sister' - whatever fate befalls her will also befall him.  To see that Erika comes to no harm, Bien-Aimé has no choice but to marry her, even though he is in love with Janine, the postmistress...