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A French teacher gets dumped to Tahiti and finds paradise is complicated.
TMDB
50
IMDb
33

Houla-Houla (1959)

Screwball chaosColonial cringePastel escapism

Overview

Comedy

Fernand Martin, a schoolteacher in Nogent-le-Roi, is in love with Jacqueline, a postal worker and the older sister of one of his pupils. He asks for her hand in marriage, but her father refuses. One morning, he receives an appointment to Tahiti.

Flag of FRFRFrench
Content warning
screwball comedyexotic island
Cultural collisionRomantic disillusionmentEscapism vs reality

Standout Aspects

Acting

Fernand Raynaud's rubber-faced physical comedy saves it.

Production

Tahiti footage is basically a 1959 travel brochure.

Best for:Background: Perfect for folding laundry to, honestly.·Rewatch: If you're studying 1950s France's weird obsessions.
Heads up:Triggers: Casual colonialism and dated islander stereotypes throughout.
Robert Darène

Director

Robert Darène

ReleasedJan 7, 1959
Runtime1h 22m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacefast
Intensitylow
Tonelight
Feellight
Silver Films
Sud-Pacifique Films

Top Cast

Fernand Raynaud

Fernand Raynaud

Fernand

Noël Roquevert

Noël Roquevert

M. Dorand

Georges Rivière

Georges Rivière

Dr Gilbert Rousset

Jean Lefebvre

Jean Lefebvre

Le gendarme

Robert Vattier

Robert Vattier

Le directeur

Maximilienne

Maximilienne

Mlle Lelongbec

Célina Cély

Célina Cély

Mme Dorand

Dominique Maurin

Dominique Maurin

Jeannot Dorand

Robert Darène

Robert Darène

Le médecin-chef

Bernard Musson

Bernard Musson

Le receveur des P.T.T.

Ask about Houla-Houla

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Cultural

This film captures France's post-war 'Tahiti fever'—Paul Gauguin's colonial fantasy repackaged for middle-class escapism.

Trivia

Fernand Raynaud was a massive music hall star; this was his attempt at leading man status. It didn't stick.

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