Disillusioned English schoolteacher John Barratt (Alec Guinness) is on vacation in Paris. He encounters his doppelganger, French nobleman Jacques De Gué. After a night of drinking, John sleeps it off in Jacques' hotel room. Jacques is running a scheme for unknown reasons. John wakes up alone and with Jacques' clothing the next morning. Jacques' driver comes in and mistakes John for Jacques.
Initially, I thought I saw this movie before and then I realized that I saw the 2012 remake. I continue to have issue with the logic of the premise but it's a different set of issues in this one. I can't buy that an Englishman gets mistaken for a French noble. He may look the same, but he can't sound the same. I do buy that John is more amenable to be someone else since he's so depressed about being himself. This premise needs some more careful planning. Alec Guinness helps immensely. He makes anything reasonable, and he is fully capable here. He's able to stay on this road despite all twists and turns.
Initially, I thought I saw this movie before and then I realized that I saw the 2012 remake. I continue to have issue with the logic of the premise but it's a different set of issues in this one. I can't buy that an Englishman gets mistaken for a French noble. He may look the same, but he can't sound the same. I do buy that John is more amenable to be someone else since he's so depressed about being himself. This premise needs some more careful planning. Alec Guinness helps immensely. He makes anything reasonable, and he is fully capable here. He's able to stay on this road despite all twists and turns.