The Gendarme Takes Off

The Gendarme Takes Off (Le Gendarme en balade, 1970) is a French comedy with Louis de Funès you can watch online on iFILM. Director Jean Girault retires the whole Saint-Tropez squad, and brigadier Cruchot is left rattling around his wealthy wife's castle, bored stiff.

He picks fights with the butler, who won't even let him do the small chores, and slowly withers. Then one of the old crew loses his memory in an accident. Cruchot and his former chief Gerber round up the gang, dig their beloved uniforms out of the closet, and practically kidnap their friend, hauling him back through every old posting to jog his recollections. Saint-Tropez gets turned upside down all over again.

This fourth entry in the long-running Gendarme series runs almost entirely on de Funès himself. His mugging, his tantrums, his rapid-fire muttering carry the film whenever the plot stalls. Familiar faces return alongside him: Jean Lefebvre, Michel Galabru and Claude Gensac. It's for anyone who enjoys vintage French slapstick with no hidden depths. Stream The Gendarme Takes Off (1970) online on iFILM.