This Monday, October 14, we celebrate Saint-Juste, an unusual first name worn by the famous Stade de Reims scorer, Just Fontaine. And did you know that? The one whose statue has just been inaugurated in Delaune is at the origin of a famous line in cinema, that of Francis Veber’s film, “Le Dîner de cons” (1998), between Pierre Brochant (alias Thierry Lhermitte) and François Pignon (Jacques Villeret).
The player told this tasty story to La Dépêche du Midi in 2007: “It goes back to the time of my arrival at the Stade de Reims, in 1956. It was Albert Batteux’s nephew, returning home, who told his parents: “You know, there is a new player at the club , an attacker, who has no first name. His name is… just Fontaine, that’s all! » I later related this anecdote to Pierre Mondy who used it in his play, “Le Dîner de cons”, with all the success that we know of. »
“- His name is Just Leblanc.
– Oh well, he doesn’t have a first name. » This passage is undoubtedly the most famous scene of the play directed by Pierre Mondy and written in 1993 by Francis Veber, who directed the film adaptation in 1998, rewarded with three Césars (Jacques Villeret, best actor, Daniel Prévost, best supporting actor and best original screenplay or adaptation).
Francis Veber also confirmed the anecdote to the newspaper L’Équipe just after the death of “Justo” in early March 2023: “My comrade Just Jaeckin, with whom I had done my military service and who achieved Emmanuelleasked me if it was a wink that I had addressed to him. But no, it was really a reference to the immense footballer that Just Fontaine was. »
