Only after watching this film have i truly gained a perspective on which direction I would like to take my acting career. After recently creating an online personality and character, Rabbi Jacob put the cherry on top in helping me fully decide how my character will take form (a hybrid between Rowan Atkinson and Jim Carey)

In USA, Rabbi Jacob (Marcel Dalio) and Rabbi Zeiligman are traveling back to Paris after a long absence far from his hometown. Meanwhile the bigoted French Victor Pivert (Louis de Funès), who is the owner of a factory, is traveling by car with his Jewish driver Salomon (Henri Guybet) to France to the marriage of his daughter Antoinette Pivert (Miou-Miou). They have a car accident and Pivert fires Salomon and walks on the road looking for help. He stumbles with the Muslin rebel leader Mohamed Larbi Slimane (Claude Giraud) and unintentionally saves the Slimane from assassins that want to kill him. Slimane abducts him and they head to the Paris airport, chased by the killers and the police. They meet with Rabbis Jacob and Zeiligman that have just arrived in France in the toilet and they impersonate them to escape from the pursuers. When they meet the Jewish community that is welcoming Rabbi Jacob in the airport, they have to proceed in the farce getting in more confusion."Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob" is one of the funniest comedies of cinema history, with a complex screenplay entwining the lives of several characters without coincidences but hilarious situations. The story makes fun of polemic themes, like religion and prejudice, and with government economical interests, but is never disrespectful. Louis de Funès is fantastic with a top-notch performance, considered by fans of the French king of the comedy as his best ever. Unfortunately the studios do not make movies like this anymore. My vote is nine.Title (Brazil); "As Loucas Aventuras de Rabbi Jacob" ("The Crazy Adventures of Rabbi Jacob")

In "The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob", Louis De Funes can apply all his talents: Not only his notorious fast-talking that makes him even for native French speakers hard to understand, the sudden break-outs of his temper, his enormous capability for slapstick which included for him playing whole scenes without a double, but also his wonderful pantomimic talents. In this film, his name in "Pivert" (which sounds a bit like "pervert"), this is the bird pee-wit, and whenever Victor Pivert is asked about his name, he feels urged to imitate the bird in a pantomimic manner, whereby his acting gets every time more insane. De Funes played his movies with such an intensity that he suffered several heart attacks before his last one killed him in 1983. One of his sons, a heart-surgeon, should be constantly on the set. Did the Funes really play? French people say that the three greatest French comedians of all times were (in alphabetic order) Bourvil, Fernandel and Louis De Funes. In the films of Bourvil and Fernandel you can laugh with a warm and happy heart, but in the films of Louis De Funes you cry out with insane laughter. He was too short time of earth, but was in over 100 movies and in approximately 50 in the main role. And now look: In the USA there are exactly 2 of his movies available: "The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob" and "Delusions of Grandeur", both directed by the French comedy giant Gérard Oury. A third movie, again by Oury, you can buy from a New York video place for approximately 50 dollars on VHS: "La Grande Vadrouille" - by many considered one of the best French movies ever. And that's it. Only from the 6 "Le Gendarme De St-Tropez" movies which made De Funes internationally known, not one is on a DVD that would play on an average American player. For "The Gendarme in New York" you must pay fantasy prices for the only VHS recording that is long out of print. It is beyond human understanding that De Funes works are not available outside of France.

This is an excellent movie. I have had few connections with French comedies, and the opening gags were unexpected. The acting, the plot, the dialog and the site gags were fantastic. You are not bothered by the English subtitles. The movie is never sluggish, and you will be pleasantly surprised. I have watched subtitled movies for 35 years and many French movies, and this is top tier. I have read various reviews and most of the negative comments concern the packaging and DVD itself, not the movie. However, when I viewed the film (and was not aware of the packaging or lack of extras)I was hardly bothered by what the DVD lacked. After reading the negative reviews, I was disturbed even less by the packaging. It's all about the movie, and it was wonderful. I rented it and now I shall own it.