Toute la ville accuse

Jean Marais is a writer. He moves into a house in a provincial town. He intends to finish his latest novel. First, he takes a walk about and runs into a group of children looking longingly into the window of a toy shop. On a whim, he buys them a gift. He also chats with pretty Etchika Choureau. The next morning, he finds a bag of money at his door. At first he does nothing with it; the bags of money continue to arrive. He buys toys and sets up a room in his house for the children to play. He court mlle Choreau. He buys himself a car. Then heanonymously donates enough money to build a sports stadium for the city. But his name gets out. He continues in his charitable ways, but some gangster types demand their cut. Eventually he winds up accused of major crimes, enough to produce the millions of francs he receives daily.

It's a pleasant little fantasy, and for once Marais offers a performance that depends on more than his enormous physical beauty. He connects beautifully with the children. It's the first movie directed by writer-director Claude Boissol. While it's not a world-beater, it's a pleasant little film.

...can produce masterpieces,as Frank Capra showed in the past.

"Toute La Ville Accuse" (the title is a misnomer) is a return to what Christian -Jaque and Pierre Very used to do in the thirties /forties:the poetic detective story involving children and (apparently ) irrational things.

A writer short of the readies finds a bag of money every morning in his house;he's got a big heart and he uses his money to help his fellow man.

There's a good chemistry between Jean Marais and the brats ,and Noel Roquevert is featured in the only memorable scene in the movie where he delivers lines which are still relevant today (and today more than ever)-"Politicians should stick to promises ;when promises are fulfilled ,that's not playing fair"- For all that,Claude Boissol cannot make his Jaque/Very cum Capra movie interesting.Most of the time ,it's never really exciting.