Louis de Funes in the '70s.
"Piti Piti Pa"
— Evans Evans's new spectacle and the movie's theme song
L'Homme orchestre (The Orchestra Man) is a 1970 French comedy film directed by Serge Korber.
It stars Louis de Funès as Evans Evans, a short-tempered and perfectionist artistic director and manager of an all-female ballet company. He is aided by his son Oliver casting as Evans's nephew Phillipe, the drummer of his company and a bit womanizing. He control all his dancers' life from their weight to their romantic life and forbid men entering in the girls' lives: after one of them quits in order to marry, he quickly hire one young and promising dancer named Endrika to replace her. However, she has hidden her baby son she had and tricks Evans to think he is Phillipe's son when she is forced to have him back.
L'Homme orchestre provides examples of:
- Anti-Hero: Evans Evans's ban on romantic relationships and families seem to stem rather from pragmatism rather being petty: there is a Travel Montage showing all the countries his troupe are visiting (Paris, Madrid, Moscow, New-York, Berlin and Rome to name a few) and it makes the cases that juggling between having a family and still working with Evans might be hard to compromise.
- Avant-Garde Music: The style of music
is a combination of classical music (piano, flute/clarinet/Bassoon and cello), modern music (drums, electric guitars and bass) and a bit of sound mixing. - Control Freak: Evans Evans's Establishing Character Moment is him directing his musicians, his sound mixer and then his dancers.Evans: [to Endrika] No man, no young man, no marriage, THERE IS NOTHING. This the covent.
- Cunning Linguist: Evans Evans speaks fluently English and Spanish. Even funnier, there is a scene where he dialogues with an English dancer in Spanish.
- It's All About Me: When Evans Evans mistakenly believes his nephew had an illegitimate child, he whines on how this would affect HIM rather than his nephew. Still, this could cost him his ballet company and put all his dancers and nephew out of business.Evans: And it will be misery, disgrace and ruin for me!
- The Perfectionist: A staple of Louis de Funès mean bosses roles.Evans: THAT was good! It was very good! You are not too tired? Not to much? Then we will have some rest. [nearly the second later] Come on, we are starting from the beginning!
- Prima Donna Director: Evans Evans is an irate and controlling Artistic Director and Ballet Manager, but a genuinely talented one. However, his main dancer, Françoise, still manages to have a secret affair behind his back despite his "no-romantic relationships" ban.
- Unlimited Wardrobe: Evans Evans nearly has tenth different costumes over the movie, and in one instance a white pyjamas with polka dot of various colors.
