cinema obscura: Gene Kelly's "Gigot" (1962)

The simplistic, deceptively disarming "Gigot," from 20th Century-Fox in 1962, is a film that seemingly cannot be seen any place these days except on the Fox Movie Channel. To the best of my knowledge, it has never been released on home entertainment in any format.

I say "deceptively disarming" because the near-silent film was shot on location in Paris in widescreen (by the estimable French cinematographer, Jean Bourgoin) and premiered at the cavernous Radio City Music Hall - a small, yet large, film, so to speak.

Two incredible talents joined forces for the occasion - star Jackie Gleason, who provided the idea for John Patrick's screenplay, and Gene Kelly, who did the directorial duties.

Gleason plays a mute Parisian hobo named Gigot who becomes involved with a little street gamine, named Nicole (the charming Diane Gardner), the daughter of a prostitute (Katherine Kath). The entire supporting cast is French.

Nicole is the one denizen of Paris who doesn't mistreat Gigot. The shots of the tiny Gardner scampering around the massive Gleason, hugging his legs, and of Gigot attending his own funeral make for a serie of indelible, sentimental images.

It would be easy to classify "Gigot" as Chaplin-esque, but it is actually a hybrid of Jacques Tati and Gleason's own Poor Soul creation.

Gleason also composed the film's music score, which is given a distinct, tinkly French reading by orchestrator Michel Magne.

BTW, Kelly's filmography as a film director is scant but eclectic and fascinating. He, of course, is best known for having co-directed the musical "On the Town" (1949) and its pseudo-sequel, "It's Always Fair Weather" (1955) with Stanley Donen. But he also helmed a handful of songless films - the France-based "The Happy Road"/" La Route joyeuse" (1957), in which he also starred; "Tunnel of Love" (1958), with Doris Day and Richard Widmark; "Gigot" (1962); the Walter Matthau-Robert Morse farce, "A Guide for the Married Man" (1967) and "The Cheyenne Social Club" (1970), a comic Western starring Henry Fonda, James Stewart and Shirley Jones. His one big solo-filmed musical was Barbra Streisand's "Hello, Dolly" (1969).

He also took to the stage to direct the original 1958 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Flower Drum Song," recruiting Carol Haney to do the choreography and her husband, Larry Blyden, to star (as Sammy Fong). The 1961 film version was directed by Henry Koster and choreographed by Hermes Pan.

Note in Passing: William H. Macy took on the role of Gigot for Steven Schachter's 2004 TV remake, "The Wool Cap."

Cinema Obscura is a recurring feature of The Passionate Moviegoer, devoted to those films that have been largely forgotten. Suggestions welcome.

(Artwork: Director Gene Kelly, scouting locations for "Gigot" in Paris and kicking up his heels with his star, Jackie Gleason)