The film begins with a view of the Sacré Coeur;then one takes a walk through the streets of Montmartre where the painters try to see their latest pictures to the tourists :Paris sera toujours Paris.
Claude (Gérard Landry) is one of those artists down on his luck ;his lodger wants to be paid ,and the bailiff is about to seize his belongings ; when Firmin ,his wealthy uncle's butler comes to his apartment , he mistakes him for the man he fears .But it's good news for once:he is one of the heirs of his uncle ;all he has to do is go to unca's desirable castle, to find the 17 million hidden somewhere there and gather the other heirs to share the fortune .
There's the rub : the heirs are too many and,except for the actress,the hapless judge and his overbearing missus and the would be legless cripple ,it's difficult to tell them apart :too many cooks .....
Besides , directing is downright poor ,mainly the scenes of crime ; wavering different treatments :a comedy, a treasure hunt, a whodunit, the screenwriters can't make up their mind and lose on all counts .
It had a good potential though ; it could have been some kind of minor Shaffer's "sleuth " (transferred to the screen by Mankiewicz) or "Volpone" ,and the -much too short - appearances of Jules Berry was a strong asset ;sadly, promises remain on hold.
Cine buffs will be interested though , for Simone Signoret ,who would become one of French greatest actresses, is featured in a small part with a few lines to say.
Claude (Gérard Landry) is one of those artists down on his luck ;his lodger wants to be paid ,and the bailiff is about to seize his belongings ; when Firmin ,his wealthy uncle's butler comes to his apartment , he mistakes him for the man he fears .But it's good news for once:he is one of the heirs of his uncle ;all he has to do is go to unca's desirable castle, to find the 17 million hidden somewhere there and gather the other heirs to share the fortune .
There's the rub : the heirs are too many and,except for the actress,the hapless judge and his overbearing missus and the would be legless cripple ,it's difficult to tell them apart :too many cooks .....
Besides , directing is downright poor ,mainly the scenes of crime ; wavering different treatments :a comedy, a treasure hunt, a whodunit, the screenwriters can't make up their mind and lose on all counts .
It had a good potential though ; it could have been some kind of minor Shaffer's "sleuth " (transferred to the screen by Mankiewicz) or "Volpone" ,and the -much too short - appearances of Jules Berry was a strong asset ;sadly, promises remain on hold.
Cine buffs will be interested though , for Simone Signoret ,who would become one of French greatest actresses, is featured in a small part with a few lines to say.
