Third in our Ifop survey on deceased comic actors, Louis de Funès places eight of his films in the top 20 of French people’s favorite comedies. A consecration.
If success falls on him late, it is more than massive. From 1964 to his death in 1983, Louis de Funès was the patron saint of humor on French screens for 20 years. Forty-two years later, it still is, as revealed by our exclusive survey on the French’s favorite comics.
Fantomas (1964)
Two months after “Le Gendarme de St Tropez” released in September, De Funès is already back on the screens, brilliant Juve commissioner, terrorized by Fantômas! For the anecdote, Bourvil had refused the role.
The rest after this ad
The Grand Restaurant (1966)
Still buoyed by the success of Corniaud in 1965, De Funès became the awful Mr. Septime, tyrannizing his teams. And making France howl with laughter two months before “La Grande Vadrouille” was released.
The rest after this ad
The little bather (1968)
Louis de Funès plays Louis Philippe Fourchaume, stung when a bottle of champagne rips a hole in the hull of his new ship. De Funès fascinates with his ability to play bad faith, small arrangements with honesty and self-shame.
Hibernate (1969)
Crazy modern even today, “Hibernatus” tells the story of the return of a frozen man. De Funès summons Claude Gensac in the credits who plays his wife, as in “Les Gendarmes” and contorts with mischief in the role of the husband forced to give in to his wife’s demands. Once again he plays the best of bad roles with dazzling enthusiasm.
The rest after this ad
The rest after this ad
The one-man band (1970)
A step aside – but what a step! De Funès transformed himself into an uncompromising choreographer, for whom art came first. Carried by the soundtrack by François de Roubaix, “The Man-Orchestra” is more than worth the detour, even if it is one of his least popular films.
