I have to defend this movie, oddly enough from one of Duvivier's great admirers, the indispensable dbdumonteil. It really isn't meant to be anything but a comedy - the convoluted murder plot is only an outline to hang the gags on (just because it's based on a pulp crime novel doesn't mean it has to be a film noir). And the tone is beautifully judged - we enjoy watching Fernandel squirm out of deadly situations knowing he will somehow remain unscathed. Another reviewer made an interesting reference to the Dick Powell tongue-in-cheek noirs, a good comparison to highlight the pitfalls of this kind of hybrid: a film noir doesn't work if you're winking at the audience; we lose all interest when nothing is at stake (even Hawks fell into this trap). But comedies have been playing with murder and mayhem since silent days.
And the gags are not just there for fun, they're integrated into the structure. Example: an egg rolls off the kitchen table and Fernandel tries haplessly to clean it up, prefiguring the mess he will soon get into and find it even harder to extricate himself from. Then a second egg rolls to the edge of the table and he catches it (perfect timing!) cluing us that he has his wits about him when he needs them.
Chalk up another winner from a great director and star!
Review of The Man in the Raincoat
