L'oeil en coulisse

Wounded during a rugby match he'd come to Paris to play, Tonin Bonnafous, a thoroughbred southerner, settled in Paris with a former stalag mate he'd happily met. Tonin liked the asylum. His friends are charming, and there's a neighbor, Martine, a young cinema extra, whom Tonin finds to his liking. Through his electrician friend, Tonin gets a job on the radio, and through his young neighbor, he even gets a job as an extra in the cinema.

Directed by André Berthomieu, L'oeil en coulisse leans on a strong ensemble — Henri Génès, Jeannette Batti, Nicole Maurey — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 1953.