Un certain Monsieur Jo

Like the later "Vieil Homme Et L'Enfant " , "Un Certain Monsieur Jo " pits a grumpy aging man with a tender heart against a child .

Kidnappers abduct a girlie ,but as they have the police hot on their heels,they hide her,unbeknown to him, in a former gangster's place ;now released on parole ,he's back on the straight and narrow and honestly earns his living.In his small restaurant/hotel,with a Guinguette(place where you can drink and dance ) on the banks of the Seine,he works with a dumb bartender with a big heart who did not realize what he did when he took the abducted child.

This may look derivative,but this is not;of course the old man (portrayed by the great Michel Simon true to form) and the girl get on very well and she calls him "Tonton" (=uncle);but the gangsters who cannot get any ransom asks their involuntary accomplice to get rid of the "stuff".Then what was a comedy turns into true drama .

With a genius such as Michel Simon,a smart screenplay by Marc-Gilbert Sauvageon, good supporting parts ,notably Gabrielle Fontan ,as the local gossip,one can dream of what a great director (Duvivier and Decoin come to mind) could have done.It's an interesting effort,which is to be recommended for Simon's fans though.