Strangely, “Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez” begins in black and white before switching to full color after the first six minutes. But why this change?
The Gendarmes of Saint-Tropez is apparently the first part of the adventures of Louis de Funes in the shoes of Master Sergeant Crucho. It is also the first film in which an actor of color appears. Except that the beginning of the film is black and white! But why ?
Krusho in black and white… not for long!
We have a debt Answer To Richard Balducci, screenwriter of the Saga’s first feature film and creator of Crusoe, Gerber, Fugase or Berlicotti:
The reason is very simple. At the beginning of the film, Louis is a policeman in a small mountain village before being transferred to Var, Saint-Tropez. The transition from black and white to color marks exactly the discovery of Saint-Tropez. We discovered an original idea (…).
It’s simple enough, but the film probably wouldn’t have had the same impact if it had remained entirely in black and white. Being in color has allowed later generations, just like their parents, to relate to the adventures of these sleuths, led by Ludovic Cruchot (played masterfully by Louis de Funes), whose enthusiasm is tempered by Officer Gerber (Michel Galabru).
Warrant Officer Gerber (Michelle Galabru)
Released in September 1964, the feature film received a total of 7.8 million attendees. At the time, it was the actor’s fourth film of the year after Blow up the bank (February), Dandelions by root (May), Funny Boy (July) and the 5th film: Fantomas (November). The gendarme alone does almost as much as the other four combined.
With such success, five sequels were created: a gendarme goes to New York, then gets married, goes for a walk, confronts extraterrestrials and greets the gendarmes. Some actors won’t return until the end, but de Funes and Galabru always answer “present.”
Jean Lefebvre (Fougas), Christian Marin (Merlot), Grosso (Tricard) and Modo (Berlico)
Gendarmes represents an eighteen-year saga and one of the most profitable franchises in French cinema. It all started with black and white scenes and a color passage, which was probably not such a bad calculation!
The gendarme’s visit to Saint-Tropez is not without several spurious connections:
Source: allocine
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
