Le grand restaurant (1966)

Director:

Jacques Besnard

Writers:

Jean Halain (writer) &
Louis de Funès (writer) ...

Release Date:

9 September 1966 (France)

Genre:

Action | Comedy

Plot:

Top-notch french restaurant owner Monsieur Septime is involved into crime when one of his famous guests disappears. |

Plot Keywords:

Restaurant | Restaurant Owner | Car Chase | Kidnapping | Car In Water

Cast

Louis de Funès	...	Monsieur Septime
Bernard Blier	...	Le commissaire divisionnaire
Maria-Rosa Rodriguez	...	Sophia
Venantino Venantini	...	Henrique
Juan Ramírez	...	Le général
Noël Roquevert	...	Le ministre
Folco Lulli	...	Le président Novalès
Yves Arcanel	...	Henri
René Berthier
Albert Dagnant	...	Un conspirateur
Robert Dalban	...	Le conspirateur francais
Eugene Deckers	...	Le complice de Novalès (as Eugène Deckers)
Robert Destain	...	Le baron
Bernard Dumaine	...	Le client satisfait
Jacques Dynam	...	Un serveur

Also Known As:

The Big Restaurant (International: English title)
What's Cooking in Paris (USA)
Chi ha rubato il presidente? (Italy) [it]
Das große Restaurant (East Germany) [de]
Den stora restauranten (Sweden) [sv]
El gran restaurante (Spain) [es]
Grand restaurant (Greece) [el]
Kuinka presidentti ryöstetään (Finland) [fi]
O arhimageiras tou Grand Hotel (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
Oscar hat die Hosen voll (West Germany) [de]
Scharfe Kurven für Madame (West Germany) [de]
Slawna restauracja (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

Germany:82 min | France:85 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | German

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Finland:S | Sweden:11 | Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Franstudio, Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne, France

Company:

Gaumont International

Goofs:

Continuity: In the chase scene when Septime drives his car into the snowbank, its on an angle, but the next shot shows a car shaped hole that is shorter than it should be and as if the car hit straight on.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Pastewka: Die Strategie der Schnecke (#2.2)" (2006)

Superb vehicle for a comedic genius

I love de Funés too, but I can't claim to have seen all of his movies; (he made like a hundred, right?) I will say that this one is absolutely hilarious though.

De Funés plays Septime, the despotic owner of a high class Paris restaurant, one which entertains the Paris glitterati as well as ministers of the French government. Once a foreign president disappears in the middle of Septime's grand number of lighting fire to a fancy dessert, Septime finds himself in an escalating drama. The police inspector suspects him, a revolutionary group from the missing president's country is after him, and the president's entourage blames him and demands he helps them find the missing head of state. Everyone is looking for the president, and they all ask of a terrified Septime to find him.

The poor Septime travels effortlessly (and lightning fast) between the sheer horror of finding himself in this situation, and the hilarious fits he throws whenever a staff member of his fails to meet perfection. The catch phrase of the movie is an angry kissing sound Septime makes whenever he wants to call an employee's attention to himself, without disturbing the guests, and it never gets tired.

I once heard a rumour that de Funés in person was exactly like the high-strung choleric characters he played, and thusly passed away too soon in a heart attack. I have no idea if this is true, but you do get the sense that he is more or less playing himself, which makes for some very convincing comedy. The man was a comedic genius, and this movie is a superb vehicle for him.