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Cherchez l'idole

Cherchez l'idole

Movie · 1964 · 4 people

Michel Boisrond directed the 1964 French-Italian musical comedy Cherchez l'idole, whose Italian title is Sciarada alla francese and which is also titled The Chase in English. It runs 85 minutes. Its main impact was in Japan, where it was a hit, is regarded as the spark of the Japanese idol fashion and left a deep mark on the country's record industry and popular culture.

A man steals an expensive jewel and, in a hurry, hides it inside a guitar. He later regrets it and wants to return the jewel, but cannot work out who now has the guitar. His search takes him among actors and singers, through a run of comic mishaps, and everything is resolved happily. The leads are Mylène Demongeot, Franck Fernandel and Dany Saval. Pop names such as Charles Aznavour, Sylvie Vartan, Johnny Hallyday and Eddy Mitchell also appear, along with Daniel Gélin and Claude Piéplu.

Vartan sings "La Plus Belle pour aller danser" (words by Aznavour, music by Georges Garvarentz), which sold in the millions and in Bulgaria became known through a Bulgarian cover by Bogdana Karadocheva. Aznavour sings "Et pourtant", Johnny Hallyday "Bonne chance" and Sophie "Je n'y peux rien". Annette Wademant and Richard Balducci wrote the screenplay.

DirectorMichel Boisrond

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Cast

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Eddy Mitchell Eddy Mitchell Television actor · 84 years old Laure Paillette Laure Paillette Film actor · died at 71 Paul Bisciglia Actor · died at 81 Juliette Gréco Juliette Gréco Actor · died at 93

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Yeşilçam Nostalgic A viewer raised on the classics, looking for warm storytelling and strong acting.

A small, cheerful window onto the French pop world of the sixties. Charles Aznavour's Et pourtant, Sylvie Vartan's million-selling La Plus Belle pour aller danser and Johnny Hallyday's Bonne chance all in one place; for anyone who grew up with those songs, that is more than enough. Built on an innocent idea like a jewel hidden inside a guitar, the story offers clean fun, far from today's cynical comedies. That it is credited with sparking the idol fashion in Japan is a fascinating bonus. It isn't a deep film, but it is the kind that lifts the heart.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

A light, cheerful musical comedy. It is built around a stolen jewel hidden inside a guitar, and the hunt for that guitar. There are comic mishaps and everything turns out fine in the end. There are plenty of songs. At 85 minutes, children can watch without getting bored. Grandparents may love the French songs and the sixties feel even more.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Cherchez l'idole uses its story as little more than a pretext: the jewel hidden in a guitar gives Michel Boisrond the chance to bring the pop stars of the day before the camera one after another. In that sense the structure is close to a musical revue, with scenes linked less by dramatic necessity than by the need to reach the next song. As narrative it is thin, and the characters are sketched lightly. Its real importance lies elsewhere: the impact it had in Japan, where it is seen as the spark of the idol fashion and left a mark on the record industry, makes it a curious document of pop-culture history. Modest as cinema, remarkable as a cultural phenomenon.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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