How a 1965 French comedy turned New York City into a slapstick playground
In short: In the 1965 sequel Gendarme in New York, a strict French officer travels to America for a law enforcement conference. His daughter, forbidden from joining, stows away on an ocean liner. What follows is a chaotic, cross-cultural farce involving mistaken identity, West Side Story parodies, and a daring escape through Chinatown.
Released in 1965 and directed by Jean Girault, Gendarme in New York serves as the second installment in a beloved French series. The plot centers on Cruchot, a gendarme from St. Tropez, who arrives in the United States for an international police congress. His primary conflict is domestic: his daughter, Nicole, defies his orders and sneaks onto the SS France to follow him. Upon arrival, she is nearly detained by immigration officials but is rescued by a reporter who exploits her story for a series of romanticized articles, eventually landing her a spot on live television.
The film is defined by its frantic, physical humor. Cruchot, played by Louis de Funès, spends much of the movie battling hallucinations of his daughter, which leads his superiors to suggest he consult a psychiatrist. The narrative takes a surreal turn when Cruchot, tasked with finding quality beef for a meal, stumbles into a parody of West Side Story and accidentally captures a wanted criminal. This success is short-lived, as he soon discovers Nicole’s romantic entanglement with an Italian gendarme, sparking a frantic chase across the city that culminates in a disguise-heavy escape through Chinatown.
Beyond its slapstick mechanics, the film offers a snapshot of mid-sixties French cinema's reach. It was a massive commercial success, ranking as the fourth most popular film in France in 1965, trailing only heavy hitters like Goldfinger and Thunderball. The film concludes with a classic comedic resolution: after sabotaging his own team's departure to help Nicole, Cruchot returns to St. Tropez, only for his captain to finally uncover the truth through a simple piece of clothing. It remains a quintessential example of the era's lighthearted, character-driven comedy that prioritized absurdity over realism.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Gendarme in New York
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