♦ Synopsis :

In order to start again local tourism, the small commune of Trézignan decides to organize a great festival to celebrate the 40 years of the quintuplets formerly born in the village, even if their father does not want really to re-examine them. Their godfather, Doctor Bolène, is charged to find them and to convince them to take part in the festival.

♦ Specification sheet :

• Title : Le mouton à cinq pattes
• Realization : Henri Verneuil
• Scenario : Albert Valentin
• Scenario : Henri Verneuil and René Barjavel
• Dialogues : René Barjavel, with for the various stories : Jean Marsan : (stories of Alain), Henri Troyat : (stories of Désiré - according to "Le philanthrope à la rouquine"), Jacques Perret : (stories of Etienne - According to "La mouche"), Jean Marsan and Henri Verneuil : (stories of Bernard) and Raoul Ploquin : (stories of Charles)
• Production assistants : Pierre Chevalier, Arlen Papazian
• Production : Les films Raoul Ploquin, Cocinex (France)
• Leader of production : Raoul Ploquin
• Producer's assistant : Simone Bouvet
• Distribution : Cocinor
• Music : Georges Van Parys
• Images : Armand Thirard
• Operator : Louis Née, assisted of Jean Dicop and Robert Florent
• Music : Georges van Parys (Editions musical Transatlantique)
• Decorations : Robert Clavel, assisted of Jacques Douy and Marc Desage
• Editing : Christian Gaudin, assisted of Suzanne Rondeau
• Sound : William-Robert Sivel, assisted of Pierre Zann and Arthur Van Yeeren
• Make-up : Lina Gallet, Yvette Dicop
• Hairstyles : Serge Stern
• Photographer of tray : Gaston Thonnart
• Script : Charlotte Lefèvre
• General manager : Georges Charlot, assisted of Louis Manella and Descoffre
• Outside manager : Gabriel Béchir
• Property man : Albouze and Villecoq
• Interior designer : Charles Mérangel
• Shooting from February 1st till April 5th, 1954 in the studios of Boulogne and in Vaison la Romaine
• Country of origin : France
• Format : Black and white - 1,37:1 - Mono - 35 mm
• Recording Artec, Western Electric
• Genre : Comedy drama
• Duration : 100 minutes
• Date exit : September 24th, 1954
• Visa of exploitation : 15145

♦ Distribution :

• Fernandel : Édouard Saint-Forget / Quintuplets : Alain the beautician, Bernard the journalist, Charles the abbot, Désiré the window cleaner, Étienne the sea perch
• Edouard Delmont : The doctor Marius Bollène
• Louis de Funès : M. Pilate, person in charge of undertaker's
• Noël Roquevert : Antoine Brissard
• Françoise Arnoul : Marianne Durand-Perrin, the girl
• Georges Chamarat : M. Durand-Perrin, the father
• Denise Grey : Mme Durand-Perrin, the mother
• Andrex : A sailor
• Michel Ardan : A sailor
• Edmond Ardisson : The sergeant
• Jocelyne Bressy
• José Casa : The gendarme
• Jean Diéner : The undertaker
• Paulette Dubost : Solange Saint-Forget, the woman of Désiré
• Ky Duyen : A Chinese player on the boat
• Leopoldo Francés : A half-blood
• Manuel Gary : The doctor
• Micheline Gary : The hostess of the instutut of beauty
• René Génin : The mayor
• René Havard : The elevator operator
• Tony Jacquot : The primary school teacher
• Alinda Kristensen
• Lolita López : Azitad
• Yvette Lucas : Mariette, The domestic of Edouard
• Yannick Malloire : The girl
• Franck Maurice : The consumer
• Edouard Francomme : The consumer
• Albert Michel : The boss of the bar
• Dario Moreno : The American player, on the boat
• Nina Myral : Justine, the maid of "Durand-Perrin"
• Pâquerette : The handmaid of the priest
• Raphaël Patorni : The actor playing Rodrigue
• Philippe Richard : The actor playing Don Gormas
• Gil Delamare : The reckless driver
• Max Desrau : The new boss of undertaker's
• Renée Gardès : A caretaker
• Georges Demas : A journalist
• Maryse Martin : (Mentioned in the credits, she does not appear in the film)
• Loche

♦ Around the film :

• Fernandel play 6 different parts here : 5 quintuplets and their father (in Pour tout l'or du monde, Bourvil will play as for him a father and his 2 sons ; Jerry Lewis in Les Tontons Farceurs will play 7 parts : 1 driver and 6 brothers).

• One can almost add two other roles : Aunt Nicole, courrierist of the heart, and Antoine Brissard, whom it replaces following his death. One arrives then at the incredible total of eight plays of actor!

• Charles, one of the 5 quintuplets and priest of his village, complain to resemble as a drop of water "this priest whom one sees with the cinema", and it is risée besides of all the village. The priest in question, and that it does not name, is not other than Don Camillo, that Fernandel also interprets, and who is then (in 1954) with its second episode (the 3e will leave in 1955).

• It is the second film in which appear simultaneously Fernandel and Louis de Funès, afterwardsBoniface Somnambule (1951). There will be 3 more others of them thereafter : Mam'zelle Nitouche (1954), La Vie à deux (1958) et Le Diable et les Dix Commandements (1962).

♦ Rewards :

• Gold leopard with Festival of Locarno in 1954.
• Nominated for the Oscar of the best scenario in 1956.

www.defunesmovies.com