The Cow and I (film)

La Vache et le Prisonnier
Directed by	Henri Verneuil
Based on	Une histoire vraie by Jacques Antoine
Starring	Fernandel
Release dates	16 December 1959 (1959-12-16) (France)
Running time	118 minutes
Country	France Italy
Language	French

La Vache et le Prisonnier (English version: "The Cow and I") is a French-Italian tragicomedy film from 1959 starring Fernandel and directed by Henri Verneuil. The story was based on Jacques Antoine's novel, Une histoire vraie. It is considered to be a classic and one of Fernandel's most iconic and popular films. It was Fernandel's highest grossing film ever in 1959.

The film was shot in black and white. In 1990 a colorized version was released.

Plot

In 1943 Charles Bailly (Fernandel), a French prisoner of war, decides to escape from the farm in Germany where he works and return to France. He travels through the country, accompanied by his cow, Marguerite. On the way they encounter many people, some sympathetic and some not. The key scene involves Fernandel's character encountering a troop of soldiers on a narrow bridge. The cow won't turn round to allow them to pass easily and they are forced into single file. Fernandel and the cow pass as if inspecting the troops.

Cast

• Fernandel : Charles Bailly
• René Havard : Bussière
• Ingeborg Schöner : Helga
• Bernard Musson : Pommier
• Ellen Schwiers : Josépha
• Pierre Louis : an escaped prisoner in disguise
• Franziska Kinz : Helga's mother
• Maurice Nasil : Bertoux
• Richard Winckler : another escaped prisoner in disguise
• Benno Hoffmann : a prison guard
• Albert Rémy : Collinet
• Franz Muxeneder
• Marcel Rouzé
• Marguerite : the cow
• Heinrich Gretler

External links

• The Cow and I at IMDb
• http://filmsdefrance.com/FDF_La_vache_et_le_prisonnier_rev.html