L'Hôtel du libre échange

Viewers expecting something dated, as this is based on an 1890s Feydeau farce in which characters enter and exit hotel rooms, may be surprised by how funny the film plays.Hollywood pretty much dominated the competition in musicals, westerns, and screwball comedies but this and Drole De Drame from 2 years later are French screwball exceptions.The contribution to both of writer Jacques Prevert who belonged to a group of surrealists may be the factor, I suspect he added his own bits of fresh nonsense to the original play.The film is also a testament to the superb host of character actors (known in French as "les excentriques") who are one of the pleasures of that country's films in this period, and who were later unfairly dismissed by the New Wave.This is more of an ensemble piece for them rather than a vehicle for stars, though Fernandel is featured.They include Alerme, Larquey, Raymond Cordy,and the irresistible,Saturnin Fabre.I f yoy do not know these names, you may want to discover them! also there are three scenes of female nudity which wouldn't have been allowed in a Hollywood film of this era.