''I Have an Idea'' (French: ''J'ai une idée'') is a 1934 French

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by Roger Richebé and starring Raimu,

Simone Deguyse Simone Deguyse (1910-1985) was a French stage and film actress. Kermabonp p.240 On stage she appeared in a number of operettas and comedies. Selected filmography * ''The Fortune'' (1931) * '' Buridan's Donkey'' (1932) * ''Orange Blossom'' (1932) ...

and

Félix Oudart Félix Charles Oudart (1881–1956) was a French stage and film actor.Goble p.452 Selected filmography * '' Crainquebille'' (1922) * ''Abduct Me'' (1932) * '' Toto'' (1933) * '' George and Georgette'' (1934) * '' A Day Will Come'' (1934) * '' Mer ...

. It is an adaptation of the 1922 West End

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity o ...

'' Tons of Money'' by Will Evans and

Arthur Valentine Archibald Thomas Pechey (26 September 1876 in West Ham, Essex – 29 November 1961 in Wells, Somerset, England) often credited as Valentine, was an English lyricist and novelist. The pen name Valentine was derived from his mother's family th ...

.Goble p.149 The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

Guy de Gastyne Guy de Gastyne (1888–1972) was a French art director. He was the brother of the film director Marco de Gastyne.Andrew p.184 Selected filmography * ''Little Lise'' (1930) * ''Orange Blossom'' (1932) * '' Buridan's Donkey'' (1932) * ''Abduct Me'' ...

Synopsis

In order to avoid his

creditor A creditor or lender is a party (e.g., person, organization, company, or government) that has a claim on the services of a second party. It is a person or institution to whom money is owed. The first party, in general, has provided some property ...

s, a man pretends he is dead then poses as his long-lost cousin from

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

to claim the inheritance. Things are complicated when two other cousins, one of them an

imposter An impostor (also spelled imposter) is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often through means of disguise. Their objective is usually to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but also often for purposes ...

, attempt to launch their own claims for the money.

Cast

* Raimu as Aubrey *

as Louise *

Georges Morton Georges may refer to: Places *Georges River, New South Wales, Australia *Georges Quay (Dublin) *Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses *Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 1977 ...

as Chester *

as Georges *

Henri Poupon Henri Poupon (1884–1953) was a French stage and film actor.Paietta p.128 He worked a number of times with the write-director Marcel Pagnol. Selected filmography * ''The Fortune'' (1931) * ''To the Polls, Citizens'' (1932) * ''Angèle'' (1934) * ...

as Henry * Auguste Mouriès as Edouard *

Léon Nurbel Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

as Gustave *

Christiane Delyne Christiane Delyne (3 September 1902 – 17 April 1966) was an American-born French actress. Delyne was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as Evelyn Meyer and died in Paris in 1966. Selected filmography * ''Luck'' (1931) * '' A Father Witho ...

as Daisy *

Charlotte Clasis Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populous ...

as La tante Dorothée *

Nane Germon Nane Germon (1909–2001) was a French television and film actress.Goble p.330 Selected filmography * ''Coup de feu à l'aube'' (1932) * '' A Weak Woman'' (1933) * ''Le rayon des amours'' (1933) - Nicole * ''Les aventures du roi Pausole'' (1933) ...

as Norah

References

Bibliography

* Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999. * Oscherwitz, Dayna & Higgins, MaryEllen. ''The A to Z of French Cinema''. Scarecrow Press, 2009. * Rège, Philippe. ''Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Volume 1''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1934 films 1934 comedy films French comedy films 1930s French-language films Films directed by Roger Richebé French black-and-white films 1930s French films French films based on plays {{1930s-France-film-stub