Tricoche et Cacolet

A comedy by a past master of the genre,Pierre Colombier, which features songs by Fernandel (duets with his partner ,Duvallès and a young Ginette Leclerc ,before she became ,par excellence,the bad girl),and music hall acts which may seem mostly filler for the 2018 audience ;the screenplay is muddled,desultory ,far-fetched and does not match those of Colombier's earlier efforts "Le Roi" and "Ces Messieurs De La Santé." Fernandel (Tricoche) and Duvallès (Cacolet) run a private eyes agency ;as their affairs are not going too well,they have to deceive their clients ,or to invent imaginary ones ;now and then ,a good gag :Banker Van Der Pouf ,holding two receivers ,talking at once to his wife and to his mistress; Duvalllès simulating a conversation with a so-called client;but as a whole,it does not really make it. The main interest lies in the actors :apart from the names already mentioned,the cast also includes exuberant Elvire Popesco and Saturnin Fabre ;Ginette Leclerc is Fanny Bombance (=feast)