Very much a 1960s style European beach comedy. The plot won't win any literary prizes, the gags are little better than average, but the comic timing of Funes, Lefebvre, Galabru, etc. is brilliant, study material for acting school. This is very much a feel-good slapstick comedy with the usual towering central performance of Louis de Funes in the title role, a prime example of a central character carrying a movie.

The best bit of the film is the black-and-white pre-credit opening sequence, set before Cruchot's move to St.Tropez. The scene with the chicken-thief and the choir is priceless.

This is the movie that made of De funes an international star and is considered the first of his great "hits".Almost everything that made De funes great in his later movies is present in this one.His typical "brownosing the boss-small tyrant to his inferiors" character,his relationship with daughter/son,the easy going"french" mentality of others around him that makes for most of the jokes, and the feel good sence of his movies. Add to all this the 60's scenery of st.tropez and you have an unbeatable combination.But of course,the central piece is De funes himself and his comic genious.I watched this movie when i was a kid, and watched it again almost 20 years later and i still laughed.An absolute must to any one who appreciates french humour and wants to taste the-in my opinion-greatest funny man ever.

It is a wonderful comedy, lively, vivid and energetic, one cannot stop laughing all the time. Louis de Funes is at his best again, acting perfectly the strict but good-natured policeman and the plot is complex enough to capture the attention. According to me, this film is a model for a comedy.The daughter of the policeman is very sweet and is a typical representative of young generation,overcoming the conservatism of the old generation.The music of the film is also wonderful, representing the typical atmosphere of its time and contributes much to the joyful spirit of the film.I also liked very much the idea the film starting in black and white and later becoming colourful.As a whole extremely witty and lively film, typical for the French character, which makes you not only smile but laugh sincerely.