Les Bons vivants (1965)
Directed by Gilles Grangier, Georges Lautner

Film Review

With its cheeky, well-seasoned melange of satire and farce, Les Bons vivants (a.k.a. Un grand seigneur) makes an entertaining French comedy which is all the more enjoyable for the presence of so many talented comedians. Typical of the kind of portmanteau anthology film that was popular in France in the 1950s and '60s, the film consists of three self-contained stories linked by a common theme. Here, the stories are titled La Fermeture, Le Procès and Les Bons vivants.  The first two parts make up the first half of the film, which has some pleasing moments but looks pretty bland when set aside the much funnier final segment.  The main reason why the third part is so much better is that it stars Louis de Funès, a great comic actor who, after several decades playing bit parts, finally discovered stardom in the mid-1960s through such films as Le Gendarme de St. Tropez (1964) and Fantômas (1964).

De Funès obviously relishes every second he has in this film and watching him perform is never a dull experience.   That this comic giant appears alongside such stars as the enchanting Mireille Darc and Bernadette Lafont can only heighten the spectactor's pleasure at least five-fold.  The film's first half is by no means starved of talent, and characters such as Bernard Blier, Andréa Parisy and Darry Cowl give great value.  What the film lacks in cohesion and sophistication, it more that makes up for in wit, charm and unbridled eccentricity.

Directing duties were shared between Georges Lautner and Gilles Grangier, who both contributed a slew of mainstream successes in the course of their respective careers. Grangier had most success with his lowbrow comedies like Poisson d'avril (1954), whilst Lautner triumphed in the comedy-thriller genre with such films as L'Oeil du monocle (1962) and Les Tontons flingueurs (1963).

Film Synopsis

Three tales concerning the strange history of a brothel lantern.  In La Fermeture, Monsieur Charles and Madame Blanche are forced to close their popular brothel in Paris when, just after the war, the government brings in new legislation outlawing such establishments.  Monsieur Charles has no further need of the red lantern, so he makes a present of it to one of his most faithful employees, Lucette.  In Le Procès, Lucette has risen up the social ladder to become a rich baroness.   One evening, burglars break into her house and steal a number of items, including the red lantern Lucette acquired so many years ago.  Once the crooks are apprehended, what ensues is the most comical of trials.

In Les Bons vivants, well-heeled businessman Léon Haudepin acquires a grateful friend when he offers a prostitute named Héloïse a safe refuge from the police.  Héloïse shows her gratitude by becoming his housekeeper, assisted by her equally desirable female friends.  Léon is not slow to take advantage of the bevy of beauties that have suddenly appeared in his home, which suddenly becomes a magnet for all of his male colleagues and acquaintances.  The red lantern can now at last serve its original function...