User Reviews

Here's a joyful comedy about radio (a trifle like "la Famille Duraton" in 1938) directed by Roland Tual who directed only one other movie, "le lit à colonnes", even better with solid cast. In this comedy, we can appreciate some funny casting, like François Périer, Gaby Sylvia, Jacques Jansen, Carette, Louis Salou in brilliant dialogues written by Robert Desnos, Henri Jeanson (not credited) and his wife Claude Marc who also plays an important part. Very entertaining.

"Bonsoir mesdames, Bonsoir messieurs" (Goodnight,ladies and gentlemen)aka "Les Ondes Joyeuses" (the happy airwaves) is harmless stuff.The main interest is to show how broadcasting was more than sixty years ago.The singers often performed live and most of the audience never saw them;the records were rare and they were selling the words to the "hits" on the streets ;a busker used to play them accompanying himself on the accordion.

There are two plots: a reporter who works for a radio station (François Périer) meets a young dancer (Gaby Sylvia) he falls in love with;but in spite of his joyful manners and self-assurance,he is not able to declare his undying love for her;so he invents another woman he's supposed to be in love with.When he describes her ,the girl does not realize he paints a flattering portrait of her.

A husband is sick and tired of the songs his wife listen to on the radio ,performed by "the voiceless tenor" ;as he 's got himself a much better voice than the (unknown for the listeners never saw his face) "star" ,he tries his luck and rapidly signs a contact with the radio station;of course his wife falls in love with his voice and asks for a rendezvous ("you've got to cheat on her with yourself").

Harmless stuff ,which at the time was probably a sweet relief for a nation who had been suffering for five years .