Michel Serrault Movies

The French/Italian/British King of Hearts (Le Roi de Coeur) takes place during World War I, but it might as well have been the Vietnamese conflict so far as its youthful "core" audience was concerned. Overacting outrageously, Adolfo Celi plays British colonel Alexander MacBibenbrook, who orders mild-mannered Scotsman Pvt. Charles Plumpick (Alan Bates) to undertake a life-or-death mission in a tiny French village. While evacuating the town, the Germans have left behind a time bomb that will explode at midnight; Plumpick must defuse that bomb. Upon his arrival in town, Plumpick discovers that it is far from deserted. A group of inmates from the local insane asylum, left behind during the evacuation, have claimed the village for their own. Knocked unconscious, Plumpick awakens to learn that he has been crowned "King of Hearts" by the gentle lunatics. None of the inmates pay any heed to Plumpick's warnings about impending doom, and when he attempts to lead them out of town, they are terrified at the prospect and scurry back to the "safety" of the village. Plumpick is finally able to render the bomb useless, whereupon the grateful inmates decide to stage a three-year celebration. When Plumpick tries to leave, he is kidnapped by the loonies at the behest of beautiful inmate Coquelicot (Geneviève Bujold), who has fallen in love with him. Bound and gagged, Plumpick watches helplessly as the Germans and the British troops kill each other off in comic-opera fashion. Finally set free, Plumpick weighs the horrible insanity of war against the more benign brand of lunacy represented by the inmates. The final image -- of a nude Plumpick carrying a birdcage, knocking on the doors of the asylum, and demanding that he be "accepted" -- was reproduced for the print ads of King of Hearts, effectively giving away the ending. An essential "date" film of the 1970s, King of Hearts was often released to campus movie houses in tandem with a pair of cult-favorite short subjects, the animated Bambi Meets Godzilla and Lenny Bruce's Thank You Masked Man. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this French comedy, a desperate gambler has one week to repay a large debt; and therefore, enlists the aide of a bungling thief to help him rob a large Paris department store. They choose to pull the heist on Christmas Eve. With the help of another, the gambler poses as Santa Claus. They fill a sack with stolen money, but unfortunately, the bag is taken by another who plans to abscond to Chile. After a bumbling chase, the gambler reclaims his loot. Unfortunately, it has been accidently covered with glue and must be washed and dried. In the end, the gambler is captured. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A inept group of crooks conspire to rob a department store before the Christmas holiday in this crime comedy. They get the money but it is dropped in glue and later taken by juvenile delinquents. The crooks get the money back and carefully wash the bills and hang them out to dry. A charging bull on the loose leads the police to the hideout to foil the felony. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Caroline (Dany Saval) is a young woman who turns her attention to older men in this romantic situation comedy. She has hopes of finding a worldly, mature man to marry, but always seems to pick the wrong men. She is wooed by a millionaire, a pushy salesman, and a pompous physician before learning all three are already married. Caroline decides to find a young man her own age after her failed attempts for happiness with the middle-aged lotharios. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

When a girl falls for her younger brother's teacher, she attempts to capture his attention. She finds that a little male competition may be necessary in getting what she wants. This is a lesser-known romantic comedy from director Michel Boisrond -- the man partially responsible for the success of Brigit Bardot (Voulez-Vous Danser Avec Moi?, Une Parisienne and Cette Sacree Gamine ). ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

Bebert (Martin Lartigue) is a five-year-old boy who gets separated from his older brother on a train. Comedy ensues as the precocious moppet observes the less-than-grown-up activities of the adults as he seeks to be reunited with his family. Panic-stricken adults continue the search for the missing boy in this delightful comedy directed by Yves Robert. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

A mystery playwright finds that he is the target of a killer. Fancying himself a sleuth, he insists upon solving the puzzle himself. Among his chief suspects are an old friend, his irresponsible wife, a flirtatious secretary, or his assistant -- who is actually the talent behind his successful plays. The popular stage and screen team of Michel Serrault and Jean Poiret would both be more widely known for their contributions to Edouard Molinaro's La Cage Aux Folles (1978). ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

This routine sex comedy by director Michel Boisrond stars Jean Poiret as Bernard, a young, up-and-coming publisher who has inexplicably fallen in love with Sophie (Dany Saval) a woman working with a 25-watt bulb, when it is turned on at all. Sophie is as well-grounded as daisy fluff and just as serious, yet Bernard goes after her with all the determination of a man blinded by love. After a wild and crazy courtship, the couple marry, but Sophie's personality does not change and she gets him into trouble -- to the point where he almost loses his job. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide