Saint-Maurice, an ordinary peaceful village, lived healthily so much so that the local doctor's practice was scant. But that was before Dr. Parpalaid retired and was replaced by a charlatan by the name of Knock. A real genius this one, for he soon managed to persuade everyone that they were ill. And not only didn't they resent him but they even loved their physician, who made a fortune and brought prosperity to the village by turning it into a big hospital.
Acting
Louis Jouvet's hypnotic, serpentine performance as the ultimate medical grifter
Writing
Jules Romains' razor-sharp satire that still stings in 2024
Director
Guy Lefranc
Louis Jouvet
Docteur Knock
Jean Brochard
Docteur Parpalaid
Pierre Renoir
Le pharmacien Mousquet
Pierre Bertin
L'instituteur Bernard
Marguerite Pierry
Mme Pons, la dame en violet
Jean Carmet
Le premier gars
Yves Deniaud
Le tambour de ville
Mireille Perrey
Mme Rémy
Jane Marken
Mme Parpalaid
Geneviève Morel
La dame en noir « ça vous gratouille ou ça vous chatouille ? »
Bernadette Lange
Mariette
André Dalibert
Le deuxième gars
Pierre Duncan
Le livreur
Paul Faivre
Le maire Michalon
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jules Romains' 1923 play was already a beloved French classic; this adaptation cemented Louis Jouvet's ownership of the role he performed over 2,000 times on stage.
The film eerily predicted modern wellness culture—Knock's diagnostic theater mirrors how social media turned ordinary existence into a series of treatable conditions.
FR
