Vive Monsieur le maire!

Original title: The Inspector General

1949
Approved
1h 42m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

3.7K

YOUR RATING

Danny Kaye and Barbara Bates in Vive Monsieur le maire! (1949)

Play trailer0:53

1 Video

11 Photos

Screwball Comedy Comedy Musical Romance

A town's corrupt officials think a fool is actually an investigator in disguise.A town's corrupt officials think a fool is actually an investigator in disguise.A town's corrupt officials think a fool is actually an investigator in disguise.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

3.7K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win total

Top cast68

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Danny Kaye

Georgi

Walter Slezak

Yakov

Barbara Bates

Leza

Elsa Lanchester

Maria

Gene Lockhart

The Mayor

Alan Hale

Kovatch

Walter Catlett

Col. Castine

Rhys Williams

Inspector General

Al Bain

Villager
(uncredited)

Benny Baker

Telecki
(uncredited)

Oscar Blank

Villager
(uncredited)

George Boyce

Party Guest
(uncredited)

Chet Brandenburg

Sentry
(uncredited)

Leonard Bremen

Lieutenant
(uncredited)

Harriett Brest

Villager
(uncredited)

Albert Cavens

Party Guest
(uncredited)

Dick Cherney

Sentry
(uncredited)

Robert Cherry

Peasant
(uncredited)

User reviews45

Featured review

7/10

Oh, I have no wife. None of my family had wives. My father didn't like wives. I mean, my mother didn't like my father's wives.

Danny Kaye was a wonderful performer, he would sing, dance, tell jokes, turn his face into rubber and just generally come off as a quality humanitarian. The Inspector General showcases all of those talents.

Directed by Henry Koster, The Inspector General is loosely adapted from Nikolai Gogol's classic Russian story, and it finds Kaye as a stooge of Walter Slezak's iffy tonic peddler who is mistaken by iffy officials of a small Russian town for the much feared and respected Inspector General. Cue mistaken identity mayhem as the music numbers, gags, visual contortions and all round slapstick ensues. Also along for the ride are Elsa Lanchester, Alan Hale, Barbara Bates and Gene Lockhart.

It's more a safe and solid Kaye movie for the family to enjoy, rather than a high end classic like The Court Jester, but sometimes the high energy jinks of Kaye is all you need to lift the blues away. 7/10

Trivia
Nikolay Gogol's play, "The Inspector General" opened in St. Petersburg, Russia. in April 1836.

Goofs
When Yakov first reads the note from Leza we can see it says "They are trying to kill you. Don't go near the barn." Later, when the woodchopper reads it he says "Don't go near the barn. They are trying to kill you."

Quotes
Yakov: May I become a wandering gypsy if I'm not telling the truth.
Georgi: But you ARE a wandering gypsy.
Yakov: That proves I'm telling the truth.

Connections
Edited into Your Afternoon Movie: Inspector General (2022)

Soundtracks
The Medicine Show
(1949) (uncredited)
(aka "Yakov's Elixir")
Music and Lyrics by Sylvia Fine
Played by Musicians at the Medicine Show
Sung by Danny Kaye
Variations played in the score