Lo strano signor Vittorio

Raimu (Victor) runs a successful shop in Toulon selling artefacts and knick-knacks. He is a popular member of the community and is somewhat of a scatty, bumbling character only he is funny with it unlike the British comedy characters of this era. A robbery has taken place in the town and has hit the headlines and 3 men turn up at Raimu's house. Guess what? These 3 men are the thieves and Raimu is the ring-leader! Well, no-one expected that. Cobbler Pierre Blanchar (Bastien) is in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets sentenced to 10 years in prison when one of the thieves - Georges Flamant (Amedee) - is killed. We know who the real killer is. Guess who? Flamant wants to see his son so hatches a plan to escape but who can he turn to for help in Toulon. Guess who?

I agree with the reviewer "kekseksa" who lays it out as it is. Raimu is not a good man - he is a criminal with a ruthless streak. There are 2 noted reviewers for French films - "dbdumonteil" and "writers_reign" - who I always read before purchasing any frog film, and they have got this one wrong in their assessments of Raimu's character, I'm afraid. He is bad and there is even tension in the film when he is shielding Blanchar as we think he might turn him in and claim the reward, or kill him so he permanently disappears. These are both likely situations that pass through the mind.

The cast are all good, especially the two female roles. Even the children do well and I usually can't stand children in films. One thing that I don't get is why anyone would want to escape 7 years into a 10-year sentence just to see their son. In this prison, they are even given cool hats to wear. The French are obviously a bit weird.