It's obvious that director Gérard Oury was greatly influenced by the silent clowns in this farce, filmed mainly in French but plenty of moments in English. You see elements of Chaplin, Lloyd and early Laurel and Hardy, plus lots of the fabulous Keystone cops.
It's a caper comedy surrounding the plot to rob cash from the train It's being transported on, and the buffoonish men who dig tunnels out of prison (and into a prison latrine and someone else's cell) as well as dashing Englishman David Niven, obviously cast because of his role in the original "Pink Panther".
There's hilarity everywhere with every trope of visual comedy being used, giving Jean-Paul Belmondo and Bourvil great material working together. The location scenes are beautifully filmed, and create lots of great comedy bits. The use of props for getting everyone into some sort of pickle is hilarious, with car radio antennas, knit sweaters and odd dirt churning apparatuses absolutely wonderful.
The luxury train in the countryside is a visual treat. The use of Carnaby Street in the opening with Niven is very nostalgic, showing all of the wonderful stores and odd characters to their best advantage. Easy to watch even for those who don't like films with subtitles. Add in Eli Wallach for more plusses as a nutty mafioso.
It's a caper comedy surrounding the plot to rob cash from the train It's being transported on, and the buffoonish men who dig tunnels out of prison (and into a prison latrine and someone else's cell) as well as dashing Englishman David Niven, obviously cast because of his role in the original "Pink Panther".
There's hilarity everywhere with every trope of visual comedy being used, giving Jean-Paul Belmondo and Bourvil great material working together. The location scenes are beautifully filmed, and create lots of great comedy bits. The use of props for getting everyone into some sort of pickle is hilarious, with car radio antennas, knit sweaters and odd dirt churning apparatuses absolutely wonderful.
The luxury train in the countryside is a visual treat. The use of Carnaby Street in the opening with Niven is very nostalgic, showing all of the wonderful stores and odd characters to their best advantage. Easy to watch even for those who don't like films with subtitles. Add in Eli Wallach for more plusses as a nutty mafioso.