''The French, They Are a Funny Race'' (; released in the United Kingdom as ''The Diary of Major Thompson'') is a 1955 French

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

written and directed by

Preston Sturges Preston Sturges (; born Edmund Preston Biden; August 29, 1898 – August 6, 1959) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He is credited as being the first screenwriter to find success as a director. Prior to Sturges, other ...

, based on the 1954 novel ''Les Carnets du Major Thompson'' by Pierre Daninos, and starring Martine Carol and Jack Buchanan. This was the last film directed by Sturges before his death in August 1959, as well as the final film appearance of Buchanan, who died in October 1957.

Plot

Major Thompson is a crusty, middle-aged English officer, retired and widowed and living in Paris, who tries to adjust to the French way of life. He falls in love with frivolous but alluring Martine, and then marries her. The question is, will their child be raised as a proper Englishman, or a swinging Frenchman?

Cast

* Jack Buchanan as Maj. Thompson * Martine Carol as Martine *

Noël-Noël Noël-Noël (born Lucien Noël; 9 August 1897 – 5 October 1989) was a French actor and screenwriter. Partial filmography * ''La prison en folie'' (1931) − Yves Larsac * '' When Do You Commit Suicide?'' (1931) − Léon Mirol * '' Mistigri ...

as M. Taupin * Totti Truman Taylor as Miss Fyfyth, the nurse * Catherine Boyl as Ursula * André Luguet as M. Fusillard, the editor * Geneviève Brunet as Secretary * Paulette Dubost as M Taupin

Production

The film was based on a popular column by Pierre Daninos in ''Le Figaro''. Daninos would write as fictitious English Major Marmaduke Thompson who would observe the French. Daninos then turned these columns into a book ''The Notebooks of Major Thompson''.

had come to Paris in hopes of reviving his career, which had hit the skids in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

after his partnership with

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...

dissolved in acrimony. He did some work on Broadway, wrote the screenplay for an adaptation of

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

's ''

The Millionairess ''The Millionairess'' is a 1960 British romantic comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith, and starring Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers. Set in London, it is a loose adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's 1936 play of the same name. Plot By the ...

'' which

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...

, who had performed in the play in New York, wanted to get produced, and then came to France where, because he was fluent in French, he was able to write and direct the screenplay for this adaptation of Pierre Daninos popular novel. Sturges originally wrote a script called ''Forty Million Frenchmen,'' about a French author who invents an English character who assumes a borrowed identity. However, Daninos published his novel with such success that Sturges was requested to write a version closer to that. The movie was shot both in French and English using two crews.

Release and reception

The film was released in France on 9 December 1955, but Sturges did some additional polishing of it for the American audience, and it was not released in the United States until 20 May 1957, when it premiered in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, the final American opening of Sturges' film career. The movie was the 9th most popular film in France in 1956 but was not a hit in the US.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:French, They Are a Funny Race, The 1955 comedy films 1955 films 1950s English-language films 1950s French-language films 1950s multilingual films English-language French films Films about marriage Films based on French novels Films directed by Preston Sturges Films set in Paris Films with screenplays by Preston Sturges French black-and-white films French comedy films French multilingual films Gaumont (company) films 1950s French films