Sénéchal le magnifique

1957
1h 35m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Sénéchal, an actor touring the provinces with the "Tournées Carlini" does not meet the success he thinks he deserves. One night in Dreux, he finds himself without his luggage and dressed up ... Read allSénéchal, an actor touring the provinces with the "Tournées Carlini" does not meet the success he thinks he deserves. One night in Dreux, he finds himself without his luggage and dressed up as a Foreign Legion officer, he is invited to a party thrown by a colonel. He creates a se... Read allSénéchal, an actor touring the provinces with the "Tournées Carlini" does not meet the success he thinks he deserves. One night in Dreux, he finds himself without his luggage and dressed up as a Foreign Legion officer, he is invited to a party thrown by a colonel. He creates a sensation there and does not leave the colonel's wife ... indifferent! Back in Paris, Sénéch... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

171

YOUR RATING

4User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

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User reviews4

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Featured reviews

10pierrealix

Fernandel at his best

Fernandel has been during 30 Years France's biggest comic actor , challenged only by Chaplin in the States and Toto in Italy..Although now 30 years after his death his Melodrama movies like Angele,Nais,the Schpountz and the Don camillo series are best remembered,this straightforward comedy is absolutely a must..Its also a Movie on Theater actors harsh lives."all this for what ? to say in the poorest village of France : The Dinner is Served"....don't forget the last 15 minutes among the best of all french comic films

8chouan

A great Fernandel movie

A third rate actor manages to survive by playing roles in real life. It will land him in court and then a part in legitimate theater. This farce is a great vehicle to showcase Fernandel's versatility.

7dbdumonteil

The great pretender

Jean Boyer made lots and lots of comedies in a long lucrative career.He never made a single movie you would call "art house" cinema ,but who cares ?His huge filmography includes enjoyable stuff such as " Circonstances Atténuantes" "La Chaleur Du Sein" "Garou-Garou Le Passe Muraille" or "Le Trou Normand" .The first two movies owe a lot to Michel Simon and Arletty;the last ones to Bourvil.Which means that Boyer's movies depend on the actors:and when you deal with Fernandel,you play safe.

"Senechal" is thoroughly enjoyable for it is primarily a one man show;Fernandel is the only principal and the movie seems to be made of sketches,all of them being much fun to watch.

A failed stage actor is on the dole after they close the play.He used to play a Legionnaire and a true military man mistakes him for a true officer for he is wearing the uniform.He invites him to his place where his wife ,who has probably listened to Edith Piaf's songs a bit too much ("Mon Légionnaire" ,"Le Fanion De La Légion")becomes crazy about him.The impostor's depiction of Africa is priceless "there it's not like here ,it's different,they don't do what we do" So is that of the Honduras when Fernandel is mistaken for a consul :"it is wet in the rainy season" A failed actor on stage,Senechal becomes a wonderful actor in real life and he begins to play his roles in the real world.When he returns to stage ,completely voiceless,he will get his own back on the writers by turning a stodgy melodrama into a farce (maybe recalling Pierre Brasseur's treatment of L'Auberge Des Adrets " in "Les Enfants Du Paradis ")