The French, They Are a Funny Race

Infobox Film
name = The French, They Are a Funny Race
(Les Carnets du Major Thompson)


image_size = 215px
caption = poster for the French release
director = Preston Sturges
producer = Alain Poiré
Paul Wagner
writer = Pierre Daninos "(novel)"
Preston Sturges "(screenplay)"
narrator =
starring = Jack Buchanan
Martine Carol
music = Georges Van Parys
cinematography = Maurice Barry
Jean Lallier
Christian Matras
editing = Raymond Lamy
distributor = Continental Dist.
released = 9 December fy|1955 "(France)"
20 May fy|1957 "(NYC)"
runtime = 105 minutes
country = France
language = English
budget =
gross =
imdb_id = 0047921

"The French, They Are a Funny Race", known in France as "Les Carnets du Major Thompson" ("The Trophies of Major Thompson") and in the U.K. as "The Diary of Major Thompson", is a fy|1955 comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, based on the novel by Pierre Daninos. It stars Jack Buchanan and Martine Carol.

This was the last film directed by Preston Sturges.

Plot

Major Thompson (Jack Buchanan) 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 (Martine Carol), and then marries her. The question is, will their child be raised as a proper Englishman, or a swinging Frenchman? [TCM [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=75664 Overview] ] [Erickson, Hal [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:92346~T0 Plot synopsis (Allmovie)] ]

Cast

Production

Preston Sturges had come to Paris in hopes of reviving his career, which had hit the skids in Hollywood after his partnership with Howard Hughes dissolved in acrimony. He did some work on Broadway, wrote the screenplay for an adaptation of George Barnard Shaw's "The Millionairess" which Katherine Hepburn, 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. [ [http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/04/sturges.html Preston Sturges] at Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database] [ [http://www.prestonsturges.com/100years.html Preston Sturges Timeline] ]

The film was released in France on 9 December fy|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 fy|1957, when it premiered in New York City, [IMDB [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047921/releaseinfo Release dates] ] the final American opening of Sturges' film career.

Notes

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