Whats makes this film so interesting is that it's a French western that takes place in the United states from New York to Texas and French style.Luis Mariano plays a shy record salesmen, the old fashion Thomas Edison rolls,in a department store in New York in the 1880's I think.When a lawyer played by Bourvill shows up informs him that he has inherited a oil field in Texas.When both attempt to ride down there ,their lack of skills in riding horse cause them both to actually lose them and they end up meeting some traveling actors.A Magician ,played by Yves Denilaud . his actress daughters played German actress Sonja Ziemann and Germaine Demarr.All of a sudden both Luis and Bor decide to join the acting troupe and forget about the inheritance for while.In the Texas town there's some corruption going on by the Banker Dawson,played by Jean Paqui aided by his girl friend owner of a saloon ,played by Arlette Poirier .Now I had thought that Sonja was really speaking the french language.I learned later her voice was dubbed by some french actress,Claire Guibert. Although this western was very flat dimension and you saw no oil fields ,this was comedy.You have these bad guys coming out of no where shooting at the traveling players and then at the citizens.It's some part of the corruption of the banker against the city.The story is thrown off by Luis good voice .Whether Sonja was actually singing the french song, that was a question mark .Bourvil also sing on the show.Dawson invites Sonja to his place and tries to rape her .His girl friend finds out and Luis comes in the heck of time to save her and eventually overthrowing the towns corruption. Building a new theater ,in 1958 style with modern stage and put on a big modern show.Gil Delamare portrays.A rancher I think ,who become the love interest of Germaine .The only problem is that it was 1958 and it's technical side of how it was shot was out of date .No wide screen and no stereo.It looked like it was made earlier than 58,but, not all movies were made in wide screen at that time any how.Entertaining 09/15/15
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mmcgee28215 September 2015
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dbdumonteil2 September 2014If you are going to appreciate "Serenade Au Texas" ,your disbelief needs to be suspended .
A notary (Bourvil) tells a music shop owner(Mariano) that he may become an oil Tycoon thanks to an inheritance (the old French cliché of the uncle from America).
Today,Bayonne,France ;overnight Wild West ! A caricature of a western ,in a chocolate-box Texas.The very thin plot shows the cattle breeders about to be driven away from their pastures and their ranches by black riders (that we hardly see) whose head is a respectable man ,who wants to make lots of money out of oil.
As for the rest,that is to say the essential: Bourvil and Mariano ,lost in the (studio) desert ,join a company of traveling players . Mariano sings ,in the desert with a guitar ,à la cowboy,and on stage.The girls from the troupe dance ,in a sequence which predates Malle 's "Viva Maria".Even Bourvil is given two silly ditties. With his first tune "les Pruneaux" (the prunes),he is almost booed off the stage ;but later in the show,he brings the house down with his "A Dada" (on horseback) which even features some saucy lines.
Bourvil serves as a foil to Mariano ,but at least to my eyes ,it's rather the other way round.