Yo Yo (1965)

Despite some panning in its homeland of France, this is probably the most popular piece by director, writer, and star Pierre Étaix. Espousing an extra old-fashioned appearance, it seems to have required greater restoration than most '60s movies. I'm unclear on the legal reasons that we had to wait a few years for the restoration's release.

The story begins in the Roaring Twenties, when an obscenely spoiled rich man sees his maybe six-year-old son for the first time. The boy's mom is a circus performer, and he's already serving as a clown. The dad sends him off with a yo-yo, which becomes his stage name. It takes the Great Depression to draw his dad into the family business -- and into the family, for that matter. By World War II, Yo Yo is a famous actor and wants to buy back the mansion that his dad lost.

The most peculiar thing about this movie is that the first act has no audible dialog, only the occasional intertitle. I'd call it silent except that it has quite a few sound effects, however unconvincing in their quality and quantity. Suddenly we're bombarded with narration announcing that the silent era is over; even then, with the influx of music and sound, it takes a while before characters have much to say. The humor remains primarily visual. Small wonder that Étaix makes more than one reference to Charlie Chaplin herein.

I get the impression that French entertainers in general are bigger on nonverbal comedy. (I wasn't even thinking of mimes when I wrote that.) In this regard, Étaix beats the pants off Jacques Tati where I'm concerned. Sure, he gets off to a slow start with ye olde aristocrat mockery, but he knows how to throw curveballs and stay sufficiently over the top. A few moments even reminded me, welcomely, of Monty Python.

The dramatic aspect? Alas, that's where the film falters. There just isn't enough of a coherent plot to carry our cares forward to the end. I found myself losing track of events and just shrugging them off. It doesn't help that adult Yo Yo has the same actor as his father and doesn't try all that hard to look different when not in a clown costume.

I can see why the late Jerry Lewis loved YY. I would too if I focused only on the laughs, preferably with someone next to me laughing as well. Let those be the conditions under which you watch.