Jean Boyer was not an ambitious director,but he produced funny little comedies ;his best was certainly "Circonstances Atténuantes" starring Michel Simon and Arletty."Bolero" ,"Senechal le Magnifique " and "Le Rosier de Madame Husson" are certainly pleasant enough.
"Garou Garou Le Passe Muraille" based on a novel by Marcel Aymé ,with fine lines written by Audiard ,can be considered a successful movie too.Things begin to become a bit repetitive in the last third though,which was already the problem with "Bolero" in 1942 and even with "Circonstances Atténuantes" (1939).Reviewers often write that Boyer botched the job too frequently whereas he could have been a past master in the art of comedy.
Sound effects may seem rudimentary compared to today's standards but Bourvil really walks through walls!The best scenes,in my opinion,are to be found in the first half: the apartment the hero shares with an athletic grumpy brother-in-law and a sister who's got not his supernatural gift though she tries her best to..;the office where the hero works with his section head ;the meeting with the sneak thief (Joan Greenwood) who operates in hotels;the hilarious moment when Bourvil reads the lines of her hands .
It's impossible not to like Bourvil.I had the opportunity to see him on stage in an operetta in Paris and I have never forgotten this show.
