Girl In His Pocket (1957)

Starring Jean Marais, Genevieve Page, Jean-Claude Brialy, Agnes Laurent, Jean-Paul Moulinot
Directed by Pierre Kast
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A scientist develops a formula for shrinking living creatures into tiny immobile statues, and ends up using the formula to facilitate an affair with his beautiful young assistant.

We have here a very charming and likable science fiction comedy from France, which doesn't utilize much in the way of special effects, but is well-written and well-acted by the talented cast.  Turning other shrinking movies on their head, the intent is not to explore a new giant world, but instead Marais uses the formula to shrink the beautiful Laurent and carry her in his pocket to rendezvouses for trysts, while detectives are following him at the request of his jealous and possessive fiancee.  This leads to a number of natural comic situations, and although I wouldn't say the film is uproariously funny, there's still chuckles to be had.  Marais may be best known for playing the Beast in Jean Cocteau's 1946 adaptation of Beauty And The Beast, and Fantomas in a series of films, and gives a good performance, but in my opinion Laurent is the star of this film, so appealing as the professor's student whose infatuation with the man turns into a believable love affair.

The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes (1970)

Starring Robert Stephens, Colin Blakely, Genevieve Page, Christopher Lee, Tamara Toumanova
Directed by Billy Wilder
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

An untold story of Sherlock Holmes is unearthed fifty years after the death of Doctor Watson, which concerns a search in Scotland for a missing engineer that leads to a sighting of the Loch Ness Monster.

Ace director Billy Wilder, famed for films like Some Like It Hot, One,Two,Three, The Apartment, Sabrina, and Sunset Boulevard, brings a new Sherlock Holmes film to the screen and enlivens the first part of it with some amusing interchanges as a famed ballerina seeks the brilliant Holmes to help provide her with an heir.  After that, the story and direction take on a more serious tone with a compelling mystery well-written and staged.  The film has excellent production design, a fine score by Miklos Rozsa,  and is wonderfully cast with Stephens and Blakely giving rich characterizations to the roles of Holmes and Watson, with Lee offering welcome support as Holmes' brother Mycroft.  Although I prefer the earlier Holmes films and actors, this is still an earnest and rewarding production and a fine tribute to the legendary character by Wilder and his team.