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Mad Adventures of ‘Rabbi’ Jacob

Directed by Gérard Oury

France-Italy | 100 minutes | 1973

French, English, Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic with English subtitles

In this riot of frantic disguises and mistaken identities, Victor Pivert, a blustering, bigoted French factory owner, finds himself taken hostage by Slimane, an Arab rebel leader. The two dress up as rabbis as they try to elude not only assassins from Slimane's country, but also the police, who think Pivert is a murderer. Pivert ends up posing as Rabbi Jacob, a beloved figure who's returned to France for his first visit after 30 years in the United States. Adding to the confusion are Pivert's dentist-wife, who thinks her husband is leaving her for another woman, their daughter, who's about to get married, and a Parisian neighborhood filled with people eager to celebrate the return of Rabbi Jacob.
Foreign Title Les aventures de Rabbi Jacob
Director Gérard Oury
Countries of Production France-Italy
Year of Presentation 1973
Language(s) French, English, Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic with English subtitles
Premiere Status
Runtime 100 minutes
Principal Cast Louis de Funès, Miou-Miou, Suzy Delair, Claude Giraud
Award(s)

Nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film

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