Le schpountz

Gerard Oury, who recently died ,made a remake in 1999 starring Smain and Sabine Azéma.It was greeted by a poor reception in France and the users on the IMDb agree,given its very low rating.

One cannot redo a Pagnol movie ,one cannot take on a Fernandel part.They were unique.

Not that "Le Schpounz" is a perfect movie:its last part (or should I say its last act for,as most of Pagnol's movies of that era,it was first a play) drags on a bit too much.

"Le Schpounz" is not a word which is in the French dictionary;it means "idiot' "moron".

Irénée (Fernandel) is sick and tired of working in his uncle 's(Charpin) grocery.He's dreaming of Hollywood .One day a film crew stops in his small village and have the poor moron sign a phony contract for Meyerboum productions.The poor fool really believes he is bound for glory so he takes a train to Paris where he is subject to bad jokes again until...

Fernandel easily switches from laughter to tears,and his words ,when he discovers he's been led up the garden path ,are bitter and harsh.There are interesting thoughts about a comic actor ,particularly when Orane Demazis talks about Charlie Chaplin.

Like "Topaze" (1932 and 1950) it's also a revenge :Irénée was humiliated in his grocery (this boy is no good at anything!)as Topaze was a ridiculous little teacher in love with his headmaster's daughter who laughed behind his back.Both have made their way of life:the former has become a star,the latter a businessman.Irenée,however,remains a nice person (so does his uncle who 's got a heart of gold in fact) whereas Jouvet made Topaze a disturbing character in the first version.

NB.Watch out for Pierre Brasseur's cameo as "Cousine" ,a gay who thinks that men should not marry women.(sic)