Mr. Peek-a-Boo (Garou-Garou, le passe-muraille)

GAROU-GAROU, THE MAN WHO COULD WALK THROUGH WALLS

Wonderful, friends: watching admiringly for hours as a great artist works.

- Do you like it, kid? - Yes.

You're a connoisseur. And you, butcher?

You prefer meat.

And you? Isn't it too modern for you?

You look just like that man who recently refused one of my paintings.

I told him: "You're condemning me to death by starvation."

He said: "Daubers simply aren't bread-winning painters."

Jean-Paul!

Jean-Paul!

There's Léon!

I have something wonderful to tell you.

- Family problems? - I already had those!

Did your boss throw you out?

Door? If you only knew! I couldn't care less about doors!

It's serious. Come quickly.

All right. I'm coming.

Dear friends, I have to go.

My union forbids long working days.

But if you want to stay... I'll be back tomorrow.

Go ahead.

Hopefully you'll finally tell me what's going on.

Here, yes. Too serious for the street.

You're scaring me.

- Did you do something stupid? - No.

I don't want to read in the paper later:

"Registration office clerk turns out to be

- leader of international gang"? - Child's play!

- Tell me. - You won't believe me.

- Are you going to tell me or not? - All right. Easy. Come.

Sit down and hold on.

You'll see. It's something unbelievable, insane.

You're good to me, that's why I'm telling you.

- You're a nag. - You treat me like your brother.

I have a soft spot for poor wretches.

I'm not one anymore.

Tell me, or I'll smash this bottle over your head.

Sit down and leave that bottle alone.

Last night I was here, to make music,

as often. I told them about problems

with my sister and her husband. You know that oaf.

I stayed for dinner. You let me have something to drink...

- No. You drank. - Well, yes.

When I got home around midnight, I was tipsy.

I went up the stairs and thought: "Gaston will wring your neck."

Because he doesn't like me. Oh, no.

If he could throw me out of my home,

on the pretext that he had married my sister...

In short, I reach the landing.

It's the fourth floor, isn't it? Good.

So I look for the keys in my pocket.

Where are they? Ah, there they are.

I want to open the lock,

but... it's blocked.

And the other lock?

Also blocked.

So I think: I'll ring the bell.

Léon is still my brother.

Again, Germaine, I'm not opening the door.

And I forbid you to leave.

I've put up with his cornet, but drunken night revelers: no!

Living with him is impossible.

But it's his apartment.

It's yours too, because it belonged to your parents.

And you're the eldest. And you're married.

And I don't care.

- Where is he supposed to sleep? - Wherever he wants. Not here.

He's not going to keep ringing the bell!

- What are you going to do? - What am I going to do?

Give him a billeting order. Tell him he has to leave.

- What is it? - It's me. Léon.

- Don't know him. - Léon,

your wife's brother, your father-in-law.

I don't have a father-in-law anymore.

Go home.

Night owl!

Gaston, I'm home. My home is here.

Exactly. Stay there and don't bother us.

No, he's got nerve.

I'm stunned. What now?

At that moment, the light goes out.

I'm standing in the dark.

I feel around for the switch. I press it.

But... I'm no longer on the landing.

I'm in my room. Stunned.

No way!

So? What do you say to that, cash?

What I say about it...

I say you haven't proved anything to me yet.

You were drunk and forgot

that your father-in-law took pity on you and opened the door.

I'm not finished yet...

Don't keep me up all night!

The next morning, that is, this morning... Sit down.

- Again? - Easy

and hold on.

As always...

In his ridiculous gym suit

my father-in-law was doing his morning exercises

while my sister was giving him his breakfast.

You had no right to throw Léon out.

- Why not? - When you married me

you had no place of your own. You were happy with his.

I still am. I just want to live there alone.

Without Léon you'll have to work. He works!

Assistant at the Registration Office. 18,000 francs.

Ridiculous.

But the three of us lived together.

Stupid goose. For five years

I've been working on the design of a jet auxiliary engine

for bicycles. Do I have to work in a factory now?

You only think about food, just like your brother.

What a fine pair, those Dutilleuls!

- Hello, Germaine. Hello, Gaston. - Léon!

Everything all right this morning?

- Where did you come from? - From my room, of course.

What's gotten into him?

Has he gone mad?

Just look at him.

- How did you get in? - What a question! Through the door.

Impossible, it's locked,

there's even an extra bar in front of it.

Then through the window, if you prefer.

No nonsense. Answer.

Answer, or his blood pressure will rise.

What answer?

If it wasn't through the door or window,

then perhaps I went through the wall.

Don't make fools of us: through walls?

So?

Just think of an explanation.

Try to have one by lunchtime.

I'm going to the office. See you, kid.

Kid?

- Aren't you going through the wall? - Not if the door is open.

Goodbye.

- How did he get in? - I don't want to see him anymore.

And as for his cornet, throw it in the trash.

It's still ridiculous.

Once on the second floor, I want to repeat the experiment.

No one comes down the stairs, no one goes up the stairs.

So I cautiously approach the wall...

I try one finger... It goes in.

A second one...

A third... Good heavens!

My hand slips in like butter. Then the whole arm.

That can't happen to you!

No. You're joking. That's impossible.

That's what I thought too, but it can happen. So I thought:

"If my arm can go through, then the rest can too." So...

Oh! Minet! Have you broken something again! You beast!

That dress!

What's the matter with that... dress?

How annoying, that dress.

Help!

Sir, there's a man in my house.

I'm afraid. Come quickly. Defend me.

Come.

There. There he is.

- I don't see him. - He was there.

I was standing in front of the mirror.

I put on my dress. And then...

Just look at that!

And this is nothing yet.

- My dear Léon... - Nothing, "dear Léon".

If you didn't have a weak heart, I'd show you.

I'll go on. That lady fainted.

I thought: "I'm going to be late at the office."

And then I thought of Gaston,

my beloved father-in-law.

I thought: "You're making my life miserable. You'll know it."

So

I went back up the stairs.

You should have seen Gaston. He looked good on the bicycle.

He was testing his design.

What's wrong?

Good heavens! What happened?

To fly, you first have to get your license.

If that's true, there's no time to lose...

We're going to a doctor.

I'm not sick. I'm in top shape.

- Off to a specialist. - In what?

I don't know, psychiatry. We'll see.

You're falling apart, man. I'll call a doctor.

I have to go to the office. I'll get hell for it.

Says a man who can walk through walls. Civil servant!

A doctor...

Find one who isn't too expensive, because...

Yes, yes, yes.

Truly enchanting, isn't it, professor?

"Enchanting..." It's amusing.

Only "amusing"?

It seems to me that someone who can walk through walls...

I admit, it's rare.

An important question.

Do these things also happen when you walk backwards?

"Backwards"?

I haven't tried that yet.

Let me see it.