"Nous Autres A Champignol " was such a blockbuster in the late fifties that it spawned two sequels :"Le Gendarme De Champignol" and "Le Caid De Champignol" ;several of the actors ,including the lead ,played in the three movies,although their parts were not the same .
The best moments are to be found in the beginning;Fouzy-Les-Ridelles is proud of their football team,but there's a problem:the goalkeeper is useless,he lets everything in.So they decide to "sell" him to the nearer village " Champignol" ;actually ,they exchange him for ...a cow;Noel Roquevert is riotously funny as he examines the football player as though he was cattle.
Afterward,the movie is more made of desultory sketches than a of a firm screenplay.The hero ,who falls for a girl ,goes out of his way to conquer her:he tells her about his poacher career,but "it's no job" she says;so he becomes a fireman and greater glories follow.
A "historic" prologue,à la Sacha Guitry.
Desultory best describes this old-fashioned movie,today forgotten.Jean Richard is neither Fernandel nor Bourvil.
