Irma la Douce 1963

As a stalwart officer, Nestor Patou (Patou) finds himself abruptly uprooted from the tranquil Bois de Boulogne to the gritty Les Halles district of Paris. His well-intentioned raid on the Hotel Casanova, where prostitutes ply their trade, ultimately leads to his own downfall. Misunderstood as corrupt and fired by the inspector, Patou is left to pick up the pieces of a shattered career.

With his reputation in tatters, Patou finds solace in the seedy underbelly of Les Halles, seeking refuge at Chez Moustache, a notorious tavern catering to Paris’s underworld. It is here that he befriends Irma la Douce (Douce), a captivating courtesan who takes pity on his plight. As Patou struggles to find his footing, he becomes embroiled in the intrigues of Moustache, the enigmatic proprietor, who regales patrons with outlandish tales of a bygone era. Each story ends with the repeated refrain: “but that’s another story.” Meanwhile, Patou’s own narrative takes an unexpected turn when he intervenes to save Douce from her abusive pimp, Hippolyte.

As Patou’s feelings for Douce deepen, he devises a plan to extricate her from her life of prostitution. Donning the guise of Lord X, a wealthy English aristocrat with a dubious past, Patou becomes Douce’s exclusive client. This ruse is bankrolled by Patou’s nocturnal labor in the marketplace, where he takes on graveyard shifts, sacrificing his days for the sake of Douce’s newfound opulence.

However, as Lord X’s indulgences mount, so do suspicions about Patou’s true identity. Douce begins to suspect an affair, and her growing attachment to Lord X only complicates matters further. The stage is set for a dramatic confrontation when Patou decides to terminate the charade and dispel his alter ego. Unbeknownst to him, Hippolyte has been tracking Lord X’s movements, leading him to conclude that Patou has murdered his rival.

The consequences of this mistaken identity are severe: Patou is arrested and imprisoned. Yet, upon learning that Douce is pregnant, he seizes the opportunity to escape from behind bars. Disguising himself in his old police uniform, Patou blends seamlessly into a group of officers conducting a search at an apartment complex, narrowly avoiding recapture.

As the cleverly disguised Hippolyte assists Nestor in orchestrating a meticulous search effort along the Seine’s winding banks, the latter’s true identity finally emerges from the shadows, now transformed into the refined persona of Lord X. With his innocence ultimately proven and his name cleared of the heinous crime, Nestor is finally free to pursue a life filled with joy and love alongside Irma. The couple’s impending nuptials are marked by an unexpected turn of events as Irma, overcome with excitement and anticipation, gives birth to their child within the sacred walls of the church. Meanwhile, Moustache, initially oblivious to the truth, stumbles upon the genuine Lord X mingling among the guests, his expression a perfect blend of confusion and bewilderment as he turns towards the audience, inviting them to share in his perplexity. As Lord X departs, Moustache’s face remains frozen in a comical mixture of incredulity and dismay.