Barnabé

Nice to see a surprisingly young Fernandel singing (yes, singing!) his way through a typical French farce. Highlights are the title number, most ingratiatingly sung by Fernandel himself against a delightful background bevy of chorus girls and an absolutely hilarious episode in which the countess picks on Fernandel as her lover for the night, but then decides on a more handsome visitor who happens to wander into her château, only to re-instate Fernandel in her bed when the handsome visitor declines her offer. These household re-arrangements involve much packing and unpacking of Fernandel's effects, aided by a delightfully snooty servant whose helpfulness (or unhelpfulness) is dictated strictly by his mistress' current humor.