Raymond Carl

Monsieur Hulot, Jacques Tati’s endearing clown, takes a holiday at a seaside resort, where his presence provokes one catastrophe after another. Tati’s masterpiece of gentle slapstick is a series of effortlessly well-choreographed sight gags involving dogs, boats, and firecrackers; it was the first entry in the Hulot series and the film that launched its maker to international stardom.

In the Mouffetard district of Paris, Jérôme Crainquebille, an affable four-season merchant, is stopped by a police officer and taken to the station, unjustly accused of shouting "Mort aux vaches!" ("Death to the cows!"). When he returns to work after a fortnight's detention, he is ostracized by his neighbors. Lonely, Crainquebille sank into despair and alcoholism. His life in prison seemed sweeter, and his attempts to return were in vain. He owes his salvation to the affection of a local kid.

Sénéchal, an actor touring the provinces with the "Tournées Carlini" does not meet the success he thinks he deserves. One night in Dreux, he finds himself without his luggage and dressed up as a Foreign Legion officer, he is invited to a party thrown by a colonel. He creates a sensation there and does not leave the colonel's wife ... indifferent! Back in Paris, Sénéchal goes through a similar experience. This time around, wearing tuxedo and top hat, he gets mistaken for a diplomat and charms the guests of a wedding party. Arrested by the police, he chooses to do without an attorney at his trial and his brilliant eloquence has him acquitted. A question remains unanswered though : will all those people who give an ovation in real life ever go to see him on stage ?