Le Bossu [The King’s Avenger] *** (1959, Jean Marais, Bourvil, Sabine Sesselmann) – Classic Movie Review 6785

The dashing Jean Marais stars as Henri de Lagardère, an adventurer knight, who, along with popular French comedian Bourvil as his sidekick Passepoil, performs lots of derring-dos during the Regency of Louis XV, in director André Hunebelle’s zesty, handsomely produced and enjoyable Gallic swashbuckler, based on the novel by Paul Féval.

Though the screenplay and handling are strictly routine and undemanding, the colourful, entertaining stars give the film a considerable lift, and it is always an infallibly fun story. Its popularity in France set Marais off on a series of similar such films with director Hunebelle, starting with Le Capitan [Captain Blood] in 1960, which also starred Bourvil.

German actress Sabine Sesselmann plays a double role, Isabelle de Caylus (dubbed by Jacqueline Porel) and her daughter Aurore de Nevers (dubbed by Gilberte Aubry). François Chaumette plays Prince Philippe de Gonzague, who plots to get rid of his cousin Duke Philippe de Nevers (Hubert Noël) to take his property and riches.

Also in the cast are Jean Le Poulain, Paul Cambo, Edmond Beauchamp, Georges Douking, Paulette Dubost and Alexandre Rignault.

The screenplay by Pierre Foucaud, Jean Halain and André Hunebelle is based on the novel by Paul Féval.

Le Bossu, aka The King’s Avenger, is directed by André Hunebelle, runs 104 minutes, is made by Globe Films International and PAC, is written by Pierre Foucard, Jean Halain and André Hunebelle, based on the novel by Paul Féval, is shot in Eastmancolor by Marcel Grignon, is produced by Paul Cadéac, and is scored by Jean Marion.

It is a remake of Jean Delannoy’s 1944 film Le Bossu with Pierre Blanchar, Yvonne Gaudeau and Paul Bernard, and it was remade again memorably in 1997 by Philippe de Broca as Le Bossu, with Daniel Auteuil, Fabrice Luchini and Vincent Perez.

 © Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6785

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Photograph of Jean Marais by Carl Van Vechten, 1947.