10 Best Comedies by Louis de Funès That You'll Want to Watch Again and Again (11 photos)

On July 31, 1914, the incomparable Louis de Funès was born. The renowned French actor, who appeared in over 130 films, left an indelible mark on cinematic history. In honor of this significant date, we've compiled a selection of ten of Louis de Funès's funniest comedies. Immerse yourself in a world of hilarity and enjoy the magnificent artistry of this actor, which lives on in the hearts of his fans!





"Not Caught, Not a Thief" (1958)



In Yves Robert's film "Not Caught, Not a Thief," Louis de Funès played the cunning market trader Bléro. With a permit to sell mushrooms, he secretly catches and sells fish—the demand for it is so high. The gendarmes repeatedly try to catch the poacher, but he always eludes them. One day, one of the gendarmes is attacked. Naturally, suspicion falls on Bléraud. He is imprisoned. And then the real culprit appears. The role of Bléraud brought Louis de Funès genuine popularity and audience recognition.

"Fantômas" (1964)





Soviet audiences knew Lou de Funès primarily as Commissaire Juve from the Fantômas films. Despite Fantômas himself being a cruel and sinister character, André Hunebelle's trilogy, starring Jean Marais as Fandor, was humorous and lighthearted, as it parodied the classic Fantômas series.

Originally, there were plans for more films, but the leading actors resisted the idea – Louis de Funès was tired of the stupid Commissaire Juve and wanted to do something else, and Jean Marais was tired of playing the puppet film after film.

"The Gendarme of Saint-Tropez" (1964)



Another long-running project by Louis de Funès is a multi-part series about the adventures of the simple-minded but diligent gendarme Ludovic Cruchot. For 18 years, Louis de Funès never parted with this character! During this time, six sparkling comedies were filmed, each of which was beloved by audiences. Interestingly, the final film about the French gendarme, "The Gendarme and the Gendarmettes," released in 1982, also became the last film starring Louis de Funès.

"The Gaper" (1965)



The Franco-Italian comedy "The Gaper," which won an honorary diploma at the Moscow International Film Festival, tells the story of the simple-minded and likable Parisian traveling salesman Antoine Maréchal, who decides to travel across Italy in his modest car. But at the very first intersection, businessman Leopold Saroyan's Rolls-Royce crashes into him. The businessman gives the traveler a luxury convertible as compensation.

Delighted, Antoine continues on. But Saroyan isn't the type to give such generous gifts without reason. The car is literally stuffed with gold and drugs, and the unsuspecting Antoine is simply being used as a courier. And now he has two warring gangster gangs on his tail. The role of Antoine is played by... no, not Louis de Funès, but by another French actor, Bourvil. The gangster Leopold, however, is everyone's favorite good-natured comedian.

"Monsieur Septime's Restaurant" (1966)



In Jacques Bénard's comedy "Monsieur Septime's Restaurant," Louis de Funès plays the director of one of the most respectable restaurants in Paris, where a discerning clientele—aristocrats, politicians, and officials—gathers daily. Monsieur Septime himself is an extremely demanding and exacting man. The restaurant has replaced everything for him, even his personal life, so he wants his creation to always be top-notch. The employees are tired of his daily nagging.

But one day, the restaurateur's attention is drawn to a strange incident: the president of a southern country disappears without a trace right during lunch. Now, to save the establishment's reputation, Septim is forced to personally participate in the investigation.

"Oscar" (1967)



It's a wild day for Louis de Funès's character, the industrialist Bertrand Barnier. Early in the morning, his manager shows up demanding a raise—he's planning to marry none other than Barnier's own daughter, the lovely Colette. Colette, in turn, is in love with Oscar, the chauffeur, but is willing to marry anyone she meets, as she's not Barnier's daughter. Barnier's maid announces she's quitting and becoming a baroness. And when a suitcase stuffed with jewels gets involved, it seems no one can unravel this tangled web of incredible events. In 1991, a remake of "Oscar" starring Sylvester Stallone was released, also highly acclaimed by audiences.

The Big Holiday (1967)



Once again, Louis de Funès plays the father. And once again, his children are causing him problems. The eldest son, Philippe, fails his English exam, so his father, the headmaster of Monsieur Bosquier's prestigious private school, sends him to the UK, to live with a respectable English family. While the boy is away, an English schoolgirl, Shirley, will be arriving to the Bosquier family, needing to brush up on her French. But Philippe has completely different plans for the summer – he sends his friend to the UK in his place, and he, taking an English girl with him, sets off on a summer yacht trip with his friends. The deception is uncovered, and Monsieur Bosquier sets out to search for the fugitives, as Shirley's father could be arriving for his daughter any day now.

"Frozen" (1969)



Louis de Funès always had a knack for playing wealthy industrialists. This time, he landed the role of manufacturer Hubert de Tartas. The enterprising businessman lives happily with his wife and son, while simultaneously plotting how to consolidate his position in the factory inherited from his wife's father. But suddenly, like an icy whirlwind, the family's peaceful existence is interrupted by the wife's grandfather, who was found at the pole, frozen in a block of ice for 65 years. To avoid traumatizing the grandfather, the whole family tries to re-enact life at the beginning of the 20th century around him. And the grandfather, having warmed up a bit and settled into the family life, begins courting his son's fiancée.

"Perched in a Tree" (1971)



Foreign tycoon Henri Roubier (Louis de Funès, of course) is returning by car from Italy. Along the way, he picks up two passengers—a young man hitchhiking and a young woman whose car has broken down. One night on a mountain road, Roubier loses control of his car and drives off the road. The next morning, the passengers discover the car stuck in the branches of a tree growing over the cliff... Interestingly, the young man was played by the actor's son, Olivier de Funès. This was his last film. After appearing in several films with his father, Olivier realized he didn't want to follow in his footsteps. He left film and became a passenger pilot.

"The Miser" (1979)



Who better than Louis de Funès should have played Harpagon in the film adaptation of Jean-Baptiste Molière's immortal play, "The Miser." The great comedian managed to make the insufferable miser Harpagon a rather likable, albeit overly stingy and eccentric character.

The plot of the film is simple: Harpagon has a son, a daughter, and a chest of gold. And he has long since decided the fate of all three. The son is to marry a wealthy, middle-aged widow, and the daughter is to marry an equally middle-aged, but no less wealthy, old man willing to give up his dowry for the girl. The chest is to remain buried forever, warming Harpagon's soul. But the miser's children have completely different plans – they already love other people. The chest will help them reunite with their loved ones, for if Harpagon doesn't allow his children to be happy, his treasure, hidden by his cunning servant, will never return.