Toy, the cult comedy with Pierre Richard, is taking advantage of the release of its remake, The New Toy, to return to the big screen! For this occasion, we look at the making of this film, which had a real failure for its lead actor.
The New Toy, a remake of the cult film The Toy, hits theaters on October 19. Jamel Debussy played Pierre Richard in 1976. This time, it’s James Huth (Brice de Nice) who took the reins of this new feature film. The original, which is also in theaters, was directed by comedy king Francis Webber.
In toyA billionaire and his young son visit a department store to choose a gift. The child’s choice falls on the journalist Francois Perrin. The latter will become available to him and will become his toy.
A large cinema bath
In 1976, then a successful screenwriter, Francis Weber The Toy was launched for the first time. He chose to entrust the main role to Pierre Richard, the interpreter of Yves Robert’s two films he had written: The Tall Blonde with Black Shoes (1972) and its sequel (1974). A major challenge for a filmmaker when making a film is to ensure that the actor develops in the way he/she acts:
“In the beginning it was difficult for me and Pierre Richard. He played comically. He would run and raise his knees and mumble his lines for humor. It was the opposite of what I wanted. (…) He understood, but he. Struggled to get rid of the tics. He has achieved success through hard work and I have had the pleasure of watching him transition from mime, dancer and clown skin to that of a ‘comedian’.*
In the end, the filming went well. If the toy is a true comedy, the feature film goes further and shows that no object can replace a father’s love for his son.
This situation echoed Pierre Richard’s own life. Indeed, the actor suffered greatly from his father’s lack of love. Furthermore, the film is a harsh critique of power and money.
The game was released in theaters on December 8, 1976, during the Christmas holidays. Several plays scheduled at the same time have been deprogrammed for fear of competing with Francis Weber’s comedies.
Ultimately, the work racked up 1.25 million admissions, which at the time was disappointing for a production of this scale. For Pierre Richard, this is a real defeat that is very hard to swallow; Then she feels scared to stick with roles like the tall blonde.
A bad failure of Pierre Richard
A few months after the release of the film, the actor’s father died. On the night before the funeral, he remains alone in front of the dead body, crying and insulting him, showing how much he regrets his confession.
Thus, the relative failure of the toy is all the more poignant for Pierre Richard because it is a film whose story is close to what he experienced as a child.**
Francis Weber also suffers from this setback (due to particularly bad reviews). The filmmaker will wait four years before returning behind the camera: it will be with La Chèvre, starring Pierre Richard and Gérard Depardieu. This comedy would become the biggest success of 1981 in France with over 7 million admissions.
The toy (and the new toy) will hit theaters on October 19.
Sources:
* “Let it remain between us” By Francis Weber, Robert Lafont
**“One day fate, Pierre Richard, incomprehensible”
Other source:
“I don’t know anything, but I’ll tell you everything” By Pierre Richard with Jeremy Imbert, Flammarion
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.
