One of the most sympathetic comedies of the sixties: Billy Wilder takes over a play by Alexandre Breffort (journalist at the “Canard enchaîné”) and Marguerite Monnot (collaborator of Edith Piaf), which was a huge success in 1956-1958 (and played, then, by Colette Renard and Michel Roux). He obviously takes great pleasure in recreating the world of pimps and whores, in the decor of Les Halles in Paris (decor divinely reinvented by Alexandre Trauner).
The plot: a stupid cop, Nestor, is fired from the police and falls in love with a lady from the sidewalk, Irma. He therefore becomes mac in spite of himself, and invents a fake wealthy client so that his “bride” do not disperse. Complications, of course, are not long in coming to light…
The duet between Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine is worth its weight in gold: these two agree wonderfully. Wilder is never as comfortable as in ribaldness (he was a gigolo in his youth), and his characters, totally buffoons, are delicious. Note the passage of the actress Tura Satana (in the role of Suzette Wong), who has since become a star of cinema bis.
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BA – Irma the Sweet
Monday January 2 at 10:15 p.m. on Arte. American comedy by Billy Wilder (1963). With Shirley MacLaine, Jack Lemmon, Lou Jacobi. 2h27.
