{
 "id": "ep1psntn31",
 "slug": "le-gendarme-en-balade",
 "title": "Le Gendarme en balade",
 "updated": "2026-11-01",
 "topic_path": [
  {
   "id": "culture",
   "label": "Arts and culture",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance",
   "label": "Screen and stage",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen",
   "label": "Film and television",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen.films",
   "label": "Films and standalone screen works",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works",
   "label": "Individual films by title and year",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series",
   "label": "Franchise and series entries as standalone works",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series.franchise-series.teen-comedy-series-entries",
   "label": "Teen and comedy series film entries",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series.franchise-series.teen-comedy-series-entries"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series.franchise-series.teen-comedy-series-entries.entries-released-before-1990",
   "label": "Entries released before 1990",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series.franchise-series.teen-comedy-series-entries.entries-released-before-1990"
  }
 ],
 "geo": [
  {
   "id": "geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series",
   "label": "Western Europe · 1946 to 2000: Franchise and series entries as standalone works",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series",
   "path": [
    {
     "id": "geo.weu",
     "label": "Western Europe",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.weu.t1946",
     "label": "Western Europe · 1946 to 2000",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.weu.t1946.culture",
     "label": "Arts and culture",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.culture"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance",
     "label": "Screen and stage",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen",
     "label": "Film and television",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films",
     "label": "Films and standalone screen works",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works",
     "label": "Individual films by title and year",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series",
     "label": "Franchise and series entries as standalone works",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series"
    }
   ]
  }
 ],
 "excerpt": "Le Gendarme en balade (The Gendarme on Parade) is a 1970 French comedy by Jean Girault, fourth Gendarme film with Louis de Funès as Cruchot; retired brigade re-forms for amnesiac Fougasse, 4.9 million admissions.",
 "snippet": "Le Gendarme en balade (The Gendarme on Parade) is a 1970 French comedy by Jean Girault, fourth Gendarme film with Louis de Funès as Cruchot; retired brigade re-forms for amnesiac Fougasse, 4.9 million admissions.",
 "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series.franchise-series.teen-comedy-series-entries.entries-released-before-1990",
 "markdown": "# Le Gendarme en balade\n\n**Le Gendarme en balade** is a 1970 French comedy film directed by Jean Girault and the fourth installment of the *Gendarme* series starring [Louis de Funès](https://www.edgepedia.org/louis-de-funes) as the gendarme Ludovic Cruchot. In the story, Cruchot and his [Saint-Tropez](https://www.edgepedia.org/saint-tropez) brigade are forced into early retirement, but they put their uniforms back on when they learn that their colleague Fougasse has become amnesiac. The film was released in France on 28 October 1970.<sup>[1](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark%3A/12148/cb157463187)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/film/le_Gendarme_en_balade/4680)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Director | Jean Girault (1924–1982)<sup>[1](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark%3A/12148/cb157463187)</sup> |\n| Release | France, 28 October 1970<sup>[1](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark%3A/12148/cb157463187)</sup> |\n| Series position | Fourth film of the *Gendarme* series<sup>[2](https://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/film/le_Gendarme_en_balade/4680)</sup> |\n| Main cast | Louis de Funès (Ludovic Cruchot), Michel Galabru (Jérôme Gerber), Claude Gensac (Josépha Cruchot), Jean Lefebvre (Lucien Fougasse)<sup>[3](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D37097.html)</sup> |\n| Screenplay | Jean Girault, Jacques Vilfrid, and Richard Balducci, from characters created by Balducci<sup>[4](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark%3A/12148/cb38224533j)</sup> |\n| Music | Raymond Lefèvre<sup>[4](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark%3A/12148/cb38224533j)</sup> |\n| Admissions | About 4.9 million in France, first place in the 1970 French box office<sup>[5](https://www.cineserie.com/news/cinema/le-gendarme-en-balade-quand-jean-lefebvre-accusait-louis-de-funes-de-lui-voler-la-vedette-5292808/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://toutelatele.ouest-france.fr/le-gendarme-en-balade-m6-les-adieux-definitifs-de-louis-de-funes-cruchot-a-jean-lefebvre-fougasse-118901)</sup> |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot\n\nAfter failing a physical fitness test, Cruchot and the whole Saint-Tropez brigade are retired and replaced by younger recruits trained with modern methods. Six months later Cruchot is bored in the castle of his wife Josépha. When he learns that his former colleague Fougasse has become amnesiac after a blow to the head from a burglar and is being treated at a rest home for gendarmes, Cruchot gathers the old brigade. To refresh Fougasse's memory, the veterans reconstitute the squad and take him on the kind of operations they used to run, including the hunt for nudists on the beach.<sup>[10](https://www.telestar.fr/programme-tv/fiche/515/le-gendarme-en-balade)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[11](https://www.justwatch.com/fr/film/le-gendarme-en-balade)</sup>\n\nThe supporting cast includes Christian Marin as Merlot, Guy Grosso as Tricard, Michel Modo as Berlicot, Yves Vincent as the colonel, France Rumilly as the mother superior, and Sara Franchetti as Sister Marie-Bénédicte.<sup>[7](https://www.offi.fr/cinema/evenement/le-gendarme-en-balade-11933.html)</sup>\n\n## Production\n\nThe film was written by Jean Girault, Jacques Vilfrid, and Richard Balducci, who had already written *Le Gendarme se marie* (1968) together, and produced by the Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie (SNC).<sup>[4](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark%3A/12148/cb38224533j)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[7](https://www.offi.fr/cinema/evenement/le-gendarme-en-balade-11933.html)</sup> Raymond Lefèvre composed the music and Pierre Montazel was the director of photography.<sup>[4](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark%3A/12148/cb38224533j)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://www.cinema-francais.fr/les_films/films_g/films_girault_jean/le_gendarme_en_balade.htm)</sup>\n\n**Shooting near Saint-Tropez.** Filming took place in 1970 in the area around Saint-Tropez. A French television news report of 20 June 1970 recorded Louis de Funès, in hippy disguise, being interviewed on the set of a beach sequence involving hippies.<sup>[9](https://www.ina.fr/ina-eclaire-actu/video/caf97063295/film-le-gendarme-en-balade)</sup>\n\n## Reception and box office\n\nThe film drew about 4.9 million admissions in France. This was a solid result but clearly below the three previous episodes, and it was the first film of the series to receive negative criticism from part of the press and the public.<sup>[5](https://www.cineserie.com/news/cinema/le-gendarme-en-balade-quand-jean-lefebvre-accusait-louis-de-funes-de-lui-voler-la-vedette-5292808/)</sup> It nevertheless finished at the top of the 1970 French box office, slightly ahead of *Le mur de l'Atlantique*; only the first film of the series had previously achieved that placement.<sup>[6](https://toutelatele.ouest-france.fr/le-gendarme-en-balade-m6-les-adieux-definitifs-de-louis-de-funes-cruchot-a-jean-lefebvre-fougasse-118901)</sup>\n\n**Intended finale.** The comedy was originally meant to close the saga, under the title *Le Gendarme en retraite*. The series in fact continued with two further films, *Le Gendarme et les Extra-terrestres* (1979) and *[Le Gendarme et les Gendarmettes](https://www.edgepedia.org/le-gendarme-et-les-gendarmettes)* (1982).<sup>[5](https://www.cineserie.com/news/cinema/le-gendarme-en-balade-quand-jean-lefebvre-accusait-louis-de-funes-de-lui-voler-la-vedette-5292808/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[12](https://www.gendarmerie.interieur.gouv.fr/gendinfo/histoire/pandore-en-technicolor-l-histoire-des-gendarmes-au-cinema)</sup>\n\n## Place in the series\n\n*Le Gendarme en balade* is the last film in which Jean Lefebvre plays Fougasse. After a long-running conflict with Louis de Funès, aggravated by the cutting of his scenes in *Le Gendarme se marie*, Lefebvre was replaced by Maurice Risch in the later episodes; Christian Marin (Merlot) also did not return.<sup>[5](https://www.cineserie.com/news/cinema/le-gendarme-en-balade-quand-jean-lefebvre-accusait-louis-de-funes-de-lui-voler-la-vedette-5292808/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://toutelatele.ouest-france.fr/le-gendarme-en-balade-m6-les-adieux-definitifs-de-louis-de-funes-cruchot-a-jean-lefebvre-fougasse-118901)</sup> Geneviève Grad, who played Cruchot's daughter Nicole in the earlier films, is absent from this episode as well.<sup>[6](https://toutelatele.ouest-france.fr/le-gendarme-en-balade-m6-les-adieux-definitifs-de-louis-de-funes-cruchot-a-jean-lefebvre-fougasse-118901)</sup>\n\nCritics have generally treated the film as the point where the series began to lose momentum. The Larousse film dictionary calls it simply the fourth film of the series, in which the retired gendarmes re-form their brigade to cure their amnesiac comrade, \"and everything starts again\".<sup>[2](https://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/film/le_Gendarme_en_balade/4680)</sup> Reviewers have pointed to recycled gags, flashbacks, and a sketch-like structure as signs of fatigue, while noting that the de Funès–Galabru pairing still carries the film.<sup>[13](https://www.senscritique.com/film/le_gendarme_en_balade/critique/238264790)</sup> AlloCiné records a spectator rating of 2.7 out of 5 from more than 4,000 votes.<sup>[3](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D37097.html)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Notice de titre conventionnel \"Le gendarme en balade (film)\", Bibliothèque nationale de France](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark%3A/12148/cb157463187)\n2. [le Gendarme en balade, Larousse, Dictionnaire mondial des films](https://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/film/le_Gendarme_en_balade/4680)\n3. [Le gendarme en balade, film 1970, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D37097.html)\n4. [Notice bibliographique Le gendarme en balade, Bibliothèque nationale de France](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark%3A/12148/cb38224533j)\n5. [Le Gendarme en balade : quand Jean Lefebvre accusait Louis de Funès de lui voler la vedette, CinéSérie](https://www.cineserie.com/news/cinema/le-gendarme-en-balade-quand-jean-lefebvre-accusait-louis-de-funes-de-lui-voler-la-vedette-5292808/)\n6. [Le Gendarme en balade (M6) : les adieux définitifs de Louis de Funès à Jean Lefebvre, Toutelatele](https://toutelatele.ouest-france.fr/le-gendarme-en-balade-m6-les-adieux-definitifs-de-louis-de-funes-cruchot-a-jean-lefebvre-fougasse-118901)\n7. [Le Gendarme en balade : séances à Paris et en Île-de-France, L'Officiel des spectacles](https://www.offi.fr/cinema/evenement/le-gendarme-en-balade-11933.html)\n8. [LE GENDARME EN BALADE, Cinéma-français.fr](https://www.cinema-francais.fr/les_films/films_g/films_girault_jean/le_gendarme_en_balade.htm)\n9. [Film : \"Le Gendarme en balade\", INA, JT 20H, 20 June 1970](https://www.ina.fr/ina-eclaire-actu/video/caf97063295/film-le-gendarme-en-balade)\n10. [Le gendarme en balade, Télé Star](https://www.telestar.fr/programme-tv/fiche/515/le-gendarme-en-balade)\n11. [Le Gendarme en balade en streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/fr/film/le-gendarme-en-balade)\n12. [Pandore en technicolor, l'histoire des gendarmes au cinéma, Gendinfo, Gendarmerie nationale](https://www.gendarmerie.interieur.gouv.fr/gendinfo/histoire/pandore-en-technicolor-l-histoire-des-gendarmes-au-cinema)\n13. [Pas de retraite pour nos gendarmes, critique on SensCritique](https://www.senscritique.com/film/le_gendarme_en_balade/critique/238264790)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Teen and comedy series film entries › Entries released before 1990*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
 "same_as": [],
 "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/le-gendarme-en-balade",
 "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/le-gendarme-en-balade.md",
 "license": {
  "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0",
  "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license",
  "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.",
  "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0"
 },
 "credit": "\"Le Gendarme en balade\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/le-gendarme-en-balade. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
 "credit_md": "\"[Le Gendarme en balade](https://www.edgepedia.org/le-gendarme-en-balade)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/le-gendarme-en-balade](https://www.edgepedia.org/le-gendarme-en-balade). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).",
 "credit_html": "\"<a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/le-gendarme-en-balade\">Le Gendarme en balade</a>\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/le-gendarme-en-balade\">https://www.edgepedia.org/le-gendarme-en-balade</a>. <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\">Edgepedia Community License 1.0</a>.",
 "speakable": "Le Gendarme en balade is a 1970 French comedy by Jean Girault, fourth Gendarme film with Louis de Funès as Cruchot; retired brigade re-forms for amnesiac Fougasse, 4.9 million admissions."
}