Bizarre, Bizarre / Drôle de drame

The farcical plot, scripted by Jacques Prévert from a 1912 novel His First Offence by Orkney writer J Storer Clouston ranges from black humour to slapstick. The narrative revolves around a mystery writer caught unawares by his cousin, a vicar, who shows up unannounced for a visit.

Since the servants have just walked out, the writer’s wife hides from the vicar, taking care of the cooking, cleaning and other household chores. To explain his wife’s absence as hostess, the writer concocts an excuse which only makes the vicar convinced that he has done away with his spouse. Things go from bad to worse and eventually Scotland Yard is called in to clear things up.

Clouston is best appreciated for his 1917 spy story which became the basis for the 1939 first Michael Powell/Emeric Pressburger collaboration The Spy in Black, part-filmed on the island. This was only the second feature by Marcel Carné who is best known for his period drama epic Les Enfants du Paradis and his 1930s crime dramas that are considered precursors to Hollywood’s film noir.

The film was ignored on its premiere before the Second World War, but it was re-released after the war and enjoyed great success.

“A satirical comedy of the English mania for detective fiction” New York Times