Evening star., 1954-08-07

AT such times, n0Cnlng is sac
reyered institutions as the home, r
life. These. indeed. become the
Patiently any one who cares tos
take a stuffy view Of this mock
cry can sit home with old tele-
vision movies. Every one else
Is likely to find himself made
merry by the antics Of Fernandez
in q Jest whose only flaw Is that
1t lasts. too long.
Fernandel's role in 1.-THE Red
Inn" is that of a monk tortured
by a sense Of duty when he finds
himself q guest one night in a
wayside hostel which would |
rather kill and rob its guests |
than wait for them to pay their |
bills. This, Of course. is a situ-
alton for which q quiet. monastic |
type Is prepared neither by in
stinct nor training.
Fernandel's treatment Of it is
q brilliant piece Of clowning in
which, by the way. he has the
assistance Of FRANCHISE Rosay,
an equally gifted caricaturist.
Jean Aurenche is the scenarist
who injects the arsenic and
Old Lace" favor into the exhibit
at the Colony.
His conceit begins with re-
mote country inn whose inspired
owners make homicide the spe-
cialty of the house. They find
1t easier to kill and rob their
guests than to feed and shelter
them. Business is not great but
the inn Is doing well enough
when q windfall turns up one
night in the form Of coach
laden with the travelling rich.
The same blizzardy night, how
ever, also brings a mendicant
monk. He is type not worth
killing even If the innkeeper and
his wife did not have qualms
about killing a man Of the cloth.
Instantly the question is how
does an i'm rid itself Of such an
unwanted visitor without dis
patching him to the gates OF
heaven.
It is in providing an answer
to this that Scriptist Aurenche
and Fernandez and Mime. Rosay
all achieve their highest inspira-
tion.
Madame Innkeeper simply de-
cides she will ask the monk to
hear her confession, one which
tallies up to 102 murders. and
which should make even hardy
confessor think twice about
tarrying. AS this single statis-
tic implies, the confession repre-
sents the farcical pinnacle OF
"The Red Inn," q scene In which
Mme. Rosay and Fernandez are
superb.
An incidental romantic plot
thread Is also vastly useful to
the gayety ofthe Colony Aim. In
this one, the principal characters
are q high-born young Partisan
and the innkeeper's daughter.
The former Is q novice on his
way to q monastery. companion
to Fernanders monk. until the
passionate, petulant and pretty
offspring Of the homicide hos
tel lays ravenous eyes upon him.
It is rare that farce Is as con-
tinuously hilarious as those i'm
mediately involved IN it are con-
vinced. 1.-THE Red Inn" is nc
exception to this rule. At the
peak of Author Aurenche's imag-
ination. 1t has the sparkle of vim
tage champagne but it lapses
quite often to the level Of viz
ordinaire.
Nevertheless, 1t could not ash
o better farceur than Fernandez
It is an incredibly funny figure
he makes Of the monk torn be.
tween the instinct Of self-pres'
ervation and his duty to his call
ing and his fellow man. He is al
his best not only in the confes.
, sion sequence but in another n
which he CANDLES away his st
Francis collection stalling fol
time and divine assistance. Anc
In still another In which HI
tarries through q wedding cere.
mony waiting for reinforcement.
from heaven.
In addition to Nine. Rosay
others who keep the Colony's
Joke reeling recklessly include
Marie Claire Olivia, as ths
daughter; Lud German as th'
wavering young novice, and Car
cite as the enthusiastic execu.
toner and owner Of the inn.
A house Of deserved fame they
make "The Red Inn"
~ y
SATT.RnAv NTGUTs Wol