Voyage surprise

When I was in the theater business we screened this film as a double bill with the Beatle's "Magical Mystery Tour". The story goes that this was the source material for their idea. It is quite an enjoyable film and is quite an unexpected romp for the audience. If you can, see them together.

Voyage Surprise is the funniest and surprising trip of a circumstances sampled group of poetic and comic characters in the post-war France. Each character is rich, each actor just perfect. Every word, every sentence (by Jacques Prevert) might be kept in an anthology. Who didn't leave Fleurville aboard Rossinante, who never visited the SOS Hurricane bedroom in the former Verdeau's whorehouse, who never performed Latude's Escapes in the Palavas-les-Flots' casino, misses a wonderful part of the french humor, wit and poetry. I probably never saw a film with so many scenes to remember and treasure. In fact, I think I saw it more than 15 times along the last 30 years, and I would see it again with delight.

The basic premise: A retired bus driver fulfills his lifelong dream of providing an extended "voyage surprise" (the title is translated as "Mystery Tour") for unsuspecting vacationers. They soon realize, while riding in the old man's home-made bus, that he hasn't bothered to plan any kind of itinerary. As a result, they end up in completely preposterous situations, of course. Voyage surprise!

Gangsters in Paris. Flic on a motorbike. Brothel where your fantasies come true. Coach going where? (It's a Mystery Tour - Voyage Surprise!).

I have seen this movie only twice, the last time being about 20 years ago at the London Barbican. Just thinking of it brings back memories of times and places.

It is /was in monochrome and reflective of Bunuel, but has optimism that denies the devastation of WW2.

Probably my favourite movie of all time. I would so much like to see it again - is there any chance of a video/DVD release in the UK?

Hollywood must have made a remake of it? - if not there is surely an opportunity.

I saw this about 1959 at the Cinema Guild theater in Berkeley where Pauline Kael programmed it, then in the 80s on a terrible VHS tape, and haven't been able to find it since. Someone suggested a Hollywood remake; I can think of a lot of ways for that to work out badly, but if it leads to making the original available again, I'm for it. As others here have said, it's very funny, farce but with a pro-small-town, anti-corporate bite, and a lead actor, the tiny, super-energetic Sinoël, cackling "Voyage surprise!" to lure customers to his fanciful trip.