The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe
The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe is a film directed by Yves Robert, in 1974. It is the continuation of The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe. Veber said the film "wasn't good at all... I'm afraid I did it just for the money."
Synopsis
Three months after the end of Le Grand Blond avec une chaussure noire, Francois Perrin, the Tall Blond Man, is once again press-ganged into service. Chief of Counter-Espionage Colonel Toulouse has a new boss — the former Minister of Agriculture has become the Minister of Interior. Captain Cambrai intercepts a letter written by Perrin to his best friend Maurice in which Perrin assures Maurice that he is not crazy and that the events causing Maurice's breakdown actually happened. When Maurice refuses to testify against Toulouse, Cambrai comes up with another plan. At Cambrai's urging, the new Minister wants to meet the supposed "super-agent". Toulouse, who can't let anybody know that the Tall Blond was really a civilian chosen at random, orders that Perrin be liquidated at once while informing the Minister and Cambrai that The Tall Blond was killed while on a mission. Attempts to assassinate Perrin in Rio are comically avoided or bungled and his funeral is likewise a comic failure; the Minister becomes increasingly confused by the conflicting reports and Cambrai, who had counted on the report of Perrin's death to get Maurice to testify, is equally stymied. Eventually, Toulouse has Christine kidnapped and forces Perrin to return to Paris to act out the part of the supposed "super-spy" for the Minister. Cambrai is not fooled, however, and in two hilarious scenes Perrin is given embarrassing information from both Toulouse and Cambrai about each of them from their private files. Toulouse orchestrates a plan to make Cambrai crack again, setting up a supposedly dangerous yet cleverly stage-managed and choreographed "mission" for The Tall Blond while he is being followed by Maurice and Cambrai ; the plot seems to work, but then Cambrai learns that Perrin's gun was really loaded with blanks. Believing Cambrai finished, Toulouse orders Christine to be released, but when she, Toulouse and Perrache arrive at Perrin's apartment they find him in a compromising situation, in bed with his former lover Paulette. Rushing out in tears over Perrin's supposed faithlessness, Christine is met outside by Cambrai and Maurice. That night, at a symphony concert at which Perrin is performing and which Toulouse, Perrache, Cambrai, the Minister and two of Toulouse's men are attending, Cambrai informs Toulouse that should anything happen to Perrin Maurice will testify, causing Toulouse to immediately call off his men. Christine appears again, in her usual dazzling clothes and armed with a gun; she tries to shoot Francois on stage. Perrin is apparently killed and Maurice announces that he will testify. Toulouse, backed into a corner, attempts to take Christine hostage, but then Perrin rises up-Christine's gun was also loaded with blanks. Toulouse, exposed in public, accepts his defeat with good grace and is allowed by Cambrai to commit suicide to avoid prison and disgrace. Of course, Toulouse fakes his suicide, and he and Perrache make their escape. Cambrai gets punched out by Perrin and the film ends with Boy Getting Girl Back and Ending Happily Ever After.
