Les Bidasses en Vadrouille avec Martin Circus

Les Bidasses en Vadrouille is French movie made in 1979, and was the first of several starring the French band band Martin Circus. The title translates to “The Soldiers on the Move,”and it looks like they were “soldiers” in at least three titles. Here’s a translation of the plot synopsis:

After the big maneuvers, four young soldiers, René, Sylvain, Gérard and Alain, arrive at the end of their military service and take a two hundred kilometer ride with a latest model AM17 assault tank nicknamed “the Invincible” in order to reach their base. Forced to clean the machine, the soldiers will cause panic in a market and involuntarily commit a hold-up.

Part of this zany journey involves an extended skateboard (planche de skate) sequence.

– Thanks to Doc Skaterock for the tip

This movie is a little bit 4 stooges and a little bit like the Monkees TV show, except it does have any of the endearing qualities of either. Who knows, maybe some of it is lost in translation. These goofs in charge of the supertank manage to get it towed after receiving a parking ticket. To chase down the tow truck, they force some teens to cough up their skateboards. Theses teens don’t seem to mind that the only collateral they get is some captain’s hats. One of the soldiers goes on to trade a skateboard in for a poor bystander’s hanglider! They skitch on some scooters, get tangled up in a ladder that a bomb has fallen onto, and wreak all kinds of havoc to a delightfully hypnotic new wave disco soundtrack that you have to assume is performed by Martin Circus. The film production company hired some competent stunt riders who were used for the action shots, notably in the downhill sections and as well as a high jump over a car. Peres 70’s skateboarding gold! I would have grabbed better stills but the DVD version currently sells for an inconceivable $100, so you’re stuck with YouTube screenshots.

Here’s a promo still from the film you can purchase from Rakuten France.

While it lasts, here’s the complete film. The still frame poster image on YouTube is from a scene where a photographer is shooting these young ladies in their undergarments dancing on top of a car that runs into the parked tank. One of the ladies loses her top, somehow causing an explosion that blows a pair of pantyhose onto a cow. I’m sure it makes perfect sense to anyone who was in France in the late 70’s. The skateboard action starts up at about the one hour and 20 minute mark.

The song Planche De Skate appears on the 1977 Martin Circus album Rock ‘n Roll Circus but I don’t think it’s actually in this film. The only place this cover artwork appears online is a really low res image on a YouTube video poster frame. I snapped this one from Doc Skaterock’s Vintage Skaterock book. As a reminders, I believe the sole USA-based distributor of that book is Skate and Annoy! Update: Search for the actual title? Sure, might work. Altering search terms for “Le Double Disque d’or du Martin Circus” turns up better results.

You can listen to Planche de Skate in this montage of skateboard scenes cut from Les Bidasses en Vadrouille.