The great American
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The great American |
| Original title | La belle américaine |
| Country of production | France |
| original language | French |
| Publishing year | 1961 |
| length | 99 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 6 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Robert Dhéry |
| script |
Pierre Tchernia Robert Dhéry Alfred Adam |
| production |
Henri Diamant-Berger Edouard Harispuru Florence Lesser Marcel Maurey |
| music | Gérard Calvi |
| camera | Ghislain Cloquet |
| cut | Albert Jurgenson |
| occupation | |
| |
The great American (OT: La belle américaine ) is a French comedy film from 1961 by Robert Dhéry .
action
The Parisian worker Marcel Perrignon buys a large American car from Madame Lucanzas for only 500 francs . This is the betrayed wife of a businessman who has a relationship with his secretary. The low price is an act of revenge, also so that the car does not fall into the hands of the rival. The new car brought Perrignon no luck. Since his employer Viralot cannot bear that one of his employees drives a bigger car than himself, he is fired from the company. Later he is stopped by two police officers because they think Marcel cannot afford a car like that. They drive to Madame Lucanzas, who can confirm this sale to Marcel. But since he does not yet have a license for the car, the two police officers accompany Marcel and, after some hesitation on his part, help him to get a faster license. For a jaunt in the car, the police refrain from filing a complaint.
In order to secure his financial livelihood, Perrignon entered a competition for the most elegant appearance, with prize money of one million francs. However, he fails miserably when the bulldog he has taken upset the competition. A little later he gets a job as a chauffeur of all things secretary, because of which he originally received his car from Madame Lucanzas. When he refuses to give her his car and the car has run out of petrol, she unceremoniously locks him in the trunk and leaves the vehicle outside of Saint-Germain. A tramp comes out of a clearing and tries to steal something from the trunk. This breaks open the trunk and Marcel is freed. Since it is early in the morning and the trunk is open, Marcel gets cold and he finally wakes up. He takes the reserve canister and refills the tank so that he can drive to the next gas station. Once there, he asks the gas station attendant where he can fill up, and he shows him the wrong way. He immediately drives into a column in a car wash. So Marcel's losing streak continues. The car is washed with the top down. The owners apologize to Marcel and give him a fresh suit, polish the car and fill his tank on business expenses. Marcel thanks him and drives on and gets stuck in a traffic jam, where he is misdirected by a police officer and he takes part in a state event. By chance he helps the Minister of Economic Affairs of France with a financial problem, whereby Marcel tricks a little with his salary card. The Minister of Economic Affairs introduces Macel Perrignon to important personalities and invites him to a dinner of high society in France.
Since the Minister of Economic Affairs is very impressed by Marcel, since he knows so much, he gives him his card with the telephone number. Should Marcel need anything, he shouldn't hesitate to call the Minister of Economic Affairs. Since the Minister of Economic Affairs still has an appointment in a factory, he wants Marcel to accompany him. He is so excited about Marcel's car that he drives with Marcel. Both drive to Marcel's old employer, where a new machine is presented. After this occasion, the Minister of Economic Affairs wants to drive the car, but the tank is emptied again. Since the economics minister has no money for a taxi or telephone, Marcel helps the economics minister out and gives him 500 old francs and a telephone token. Marcel immediately tries to get petrol at the next gas station, but forgets to put on the handbrake. When he returns to the street with the gas station attendant, his car has disappeared. The car rolls down the street to a dock on the Seine, with the car rolling onto a barge. The captain is furious that his boat is already being misused as a parking lot and takes off because he believes that whoever parks on his boat can also follow his boat on foot or in some other way.
Marcel's friend Alfred later discovers Marcel's car at a lock and asks the captain where Marcel is, which he cannot answer because he found the vehicle on his ship. You push the car off the boat and park it next to the lock. Alfred finds Marcel in his local pub and tells him the good news that his car has turned up again. Marcel wants to pick up the car, but catches a muscleman when he tries to smear his car with "AMI GO HOME". When he tries to stop the muscleman, he gives the brush and paint can to Marcel. He should apply this smear while he is standing smear. Two policemen come again and arrest Marcel. He is now trying to make it clear to the police officers that he knows some people who can confirm that it is his car. A patrol officer brought a search order for the car to this station, which stated that - should a police officer find the car - the Minister of Economic Affairs should be called immediately, after which the police officers again apologize to Marcel for the arrest. Marcel now believes that everything has been settled and the streak of bad luck is over. But some time later Perrignon's wife parks the car on a bank, where it rolls into the water. All of Marcel's friends are shocked, except Perrignon himself, because this accident inspires Marcel to open an ice cream parlor.
background
The car used in the film is a white 1959 Oldsmobile 88 .
Except for the last scene, the film was shot in black and white; the protagonist's final vision of the future was filmed in color.
criticism
"Lively folksy comedy that combines lively and carefree slapstick and lovingly ironic swipes against the way of life of French suburban residents."
Web links
- The great Americans in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The great American on defunes.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Great American in the Lexicon of International Films , accessed April 17, 2012