Rent The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1972)

The Awful French Film With One Running Gag. - The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe review by NC

I will confess straight off that I do not like slapstick, so I sat through this film with barely a snigger. My wife, on the other hand, has the opposite taste, and laughed her hat off. It's broad comedy, full of smacks in the face, cigarettes down trousers, somersaults off bicycles, gorgeous women falling for buffoons, etc,etc. If you like that sort of thing you'll love it; if not, not.

'The Tall Blond Man' is a lampoon on the familiar espionage story: men in long coats and black cars, a honey trap, suspicions and underhand machinations within the department. Done cleverly, with words rather than pratfalls, it could have been great. I realise it IS great for a lot of people, but I can't see it.

Blier and Rochefort are, of course, excellent. Mireille Darc has little more to do than look stunning, and does it marvellously. Pierre Richard seems to model himself on Hollywood comedians such as Jerry Lewis and Gene Wilder. As I can't bear these people at any price it is not surprising I am less than enthusiastic. Silly faces, and being bested in a fight with bagpipes do not make me fall off the chair.

The disc generously also contains the sequel: 'The Return Of The Blond Man'. I wish it hadn't - then I wouldn't have had the misfortune of seeing it. A tamer story, with lamer jokes, and everybody looking bored. Truly dreadful. Even my wife hardly smiled at this one.

ENJOYABLE - The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe review by JF

FARCICAL AND GOOD FUN AN ENJOYABLE FILM. Some great character sketches, No real surprises, even so I was never bored.

Benigini-like but dialled back a bit - Which is nice - The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe review by Strovey

This is the original French version of The Man with One Red Shoe, or at least it strongly influenced the Tom Hanks starrer that I freely admit I cannot remember.

Certainly, going into the film with no preconceived ideas and not really knowing the type and style of film it was helped. What I found was a spoof of Le Carre-style espionage stories that funnily enough if you took out the comedic elements would have made an intriguing tale. As it is the comedy is there mainly from Richard’s Perrin whose gormlessness and accident-prone moments are surprisingly underplayed and do not spoil the broth.

This is not to say when Richard winds up to the physical comedy we do not get its magnificent pratfalls and silliness but they are self-contained and do not overpower the film or story for the entire running time. Mixed in with the more subtle relationship between the word weary Perrache, the excellent Paul Le Person, and his prissy and devious boss Toulouse, an equally lively and fun Jean Rochefort and your smile rarely leaves your face throughout the running time.

As I said though underneath the daftness there is an interesting if slight, spy story playing out that would have made a cool espionage movie. So much so the makers do not hide from death and the utter bastardy of the Secret Service. The beautiful Christine, played by the alluring and ultimately tragic Mirelle Darc is there to seduce and then hand over the unknowing Perrin to a sticky end. That she does not is part of the story.

Of course, we do get to see the much vaunted and now museum piece ‘bum cleavage’ dress which admittedly draped over Darc looks fine but really is very silly indeed.

The strength of this film, like so many I give my opinions on, is not the story or the writing, although that helps, it is the actors. Everyone involved give their best with Colonel Milan and Toulouse’s various hit and henchmen and women all playing straight and fleshing out what could be cardboard characters. In particular Perrin’s orchestra colleagues, and lover, played by Collette Castel and Jean Carmet compliment Richard as his ordinary and unknowing colleague, Carmet's comedy chops are on full display here, never too straight nor over-the-top but fully balanced as the cuckolded best-friend Maurice.

Overall The Tall Blonde Man with One Black Shoe is surprisingly fun for a slapstick spy comedy from nearly 50 years ago, Richard out-Benignis Benigini by dialling back from eleven and with dead-straight thriller threads weaved throughout the film, we have a good mix.

Certainly good enough to sit back, relax, take a look at French fashions and cars from decades back and laugh definitely strong enough to withstand a viewing many years later.