My Pal the Gypsy

I wanted to see the film thanks to Louis de Funès, great actor, great personality. But he doesn't appear much, it's actually the story of a gypsy clan, which combines with a wealthy French family. Boring movie, not much happens, just dialogue. I had the pleasant surprise to see also Lila Kedrova, Bubulina from "Zorba the Greek".

A pleasant comedy with some very good moments at th beginning: especially when Bruno goes to the house of the Védrines: playing music. Eating in the kitchen, speaking with Odette, then knowing Gisèle or talking with Védrines !!

But later the films moves slowly and less interesting : the departure ogf the gypsy family, the return of Bruno to Paris.

I enjoyed the sound track made and played by Jacques Verrières.

Although Louis De Funès is the star of the film (and he remains true to form ,particularly in the sequences in his office) ,"Mon Pote Le Gitan" is more remembered as a song (which is heard in the movie) than as a movie,the only one directed by François Gir ,actress Jeanne Fusier-Gir's son.

A Young man of means gets a Young gypsy pregnant whereas his parents ,mainly his mom,are still dreaming of a money match ;the future mother's brother asks for a compensation: a writer,he wants his book to win the Great Bear prize ,a literary award given by Daddy De Funès's publishing business;but the gypsy's father (Jean Richard) won't hear of it:he demands an eye for an eye :the Young writer must seduce (and get pregnant) the intellectual sister from the good family.

Rather funny in its first part,the movie loses steam halfway through and does not avoid coarseness and false poetry ;besides those gypsies portrayed by Jean Richard and Michel Subor don't look like gypsies at all.

Two of the actors of the cast were used by Hitchcock himself:Brigitte Auber whose acrobat talents the master would appreciate ("to catch a thief") and Michel Subor (unfortunately, in the doomed "topaz").