Oscar

Oscar

Year: 1967

Runtime: 85 mins

Language: French

Director: Édouard Molinaro

Comedy

film adapted from Parisian play, follows one day in life of Bertrand Barnier (Louis de Funès). He discovers his daughter is pregnant, an employee embezzles money, his maid plans to quit to marry a wealthy neighbor, and a bodybuilder wants to wed his daughter. The tangled plot generates farcical situations and classic French mime comedy.

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Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Oscar (1967)

Trace every key event in Oscar (1967) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Promise to go straight

In 1931, Snaps promises his dying father that he will abandon a life of crime. He vows to reform and even tries to repurpose his gang as house staff. This pledge sets up the central tension between loyalty to the old life and the lure of honest work.

1931 dying father's bedside
2

Morning with bankers

A month after the vow, Snaps wakes in his mansion and begins his important morning. He plans to donate a large sum to a bank and join the board, hoping to land an honest job. The scene establishes his bid for legitimacy and control of the household.

a month later Snaps' mansion
3

Anthony asks for a raise and a future

Anthony Rossano arrives asking for a 250% raise and reveals his love for Snaps' daughter Lisa. He plans to propose with a $50,000 emerald gift that he took by cooking the books. Snaps reacts with fury, wary of Lisa's future and the truth behind the plan.

morning mansion
4

Lisa's pregnancy lie

Lisa lies to her parents, encouraged by Nora the maid, claiming she is pregnant to leave home and see the world. Snaps suspects the baby’s father is Anthony, not Oscar, which heightens the stakes of the deception. The lie pulls the family deeper into a tangle of secrets.

afternoon mansion
5

Theresa reveals the lie

Theresa visits Snaps and reveals she lied to Anthony about being Snaps' daughter to impress him. The truth threatens to upend the engagement plan and pressures Snaps to keep Lisa paired with the right man. The confession deepens the web of deceptions surrounding the family.

afternoon mansion
6

Snaps tricks Anthony into marriage

Snaps manipulates Anthony into agreeing to marry Lisa and hand over the jewels before anyone learns the whole truth. He leverages the prospect of a respectable marriage to secure control over the situation. The maneuver tightens the grip of crime over family matters.

afternoon mansion
7

Theresa breaks up with Anthony

Theresa confesses to Anthony, assuming he cares more about the jewels than her. He shifts his attention away from the romance, deciding the jewels may be more valuable than love. The breakup adds emotional strain to the already tangled plans.

late afternoon mansion
8

Poole as a possible match

Anthony tells Lisa that Dr. Thornton Poole is in love with her, hoping to pivot away from his earlier engagement. Poole’s world-traveling lifestyle appeals to Lisa’s adventurous nature, making him a plausible husband candidate. The matchmaking thread broadens the options for Lisa’s future.

evening mansion
9

Law-and-order watchers close in

Lieutenant Toomey and rival Vendetti begin watching the mansion, convinced Snaps will meet Chicago mobsters. Their suspicions heighten tensions around every visitor and blur the line between law and crime. The watchers add pressure to Snaps’ fragile plan for reform.

afternoon around the mansion
10

Bag mix-ups spark danger

A mix-up between Nora's underwear bag and the jewel bag fuels suspicions that Snaps is smuggling money. Toomey and Vendetti both plan a strategic hit on Snaps, escalating the risk of violence at the house. The harmless misunderstanding becomes a real threat.

mid-afternoon mansion
11

Jewel exchange and cash payoff

Anthony recovers the jewels and asserts he will marry Lisa by paying Snaps $50,000 in cash, which he has through creative accounting. The cash-and-jewels deal buys time and quiets some of the tension around the engagement. Snaps reluctantly accepts the arrangement as a temporary fix.

late afternoon mansion
12

Roxanne’s twist and family bonds

Roxanne, a new maid, arrives and reveals she was Snaps' former lover who was pregnant with his child. Theresa is revealed to be Roxanne's grown-up child, making her Snaps' daughter after all. The revelation reshapes loyalties and adds emotional complexity to the household.

evening mansion
13

Bankers arrive; Toomey intervenes

The bankers arrive for the meeting, and Snaps senses they will deny him real influence despite his money. Police arrive with Toomey, who is embarrassed to find no money or gangsters present. He leaves, and the situation exposes the bank’s hollow control.

evening mansion / bank meeting room
14

Return to crime and double wedding

Realizing he’d rather face gangsters than bankers, Snaps abandons the straight life and leans back into crime. A double wedding is held for both daughters, but Oscar objects and is carried off by Snaps’ men, ending the night with chaos but a festive tone overall.

evening mansion

Last updated: October 07, 2025 at 09:53

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Oscar (1967) Timeline Questions Answered – Chronology FAQ

Find frequently asked questions about the Oscar (1967) timeline, including chronological order, nonlinear jumps, cause-and-effect links, and scene sequence clarifications. This timeline FAQ helps explain when key events happen, how moments connect, and why the story unfolds in that specific order.

Q1

Why does Snaps decide to abandon his life of crime?

A.

Snaps promises his dying father that he will go straight and reform his criminal ways. He transforms his old gang into household staff at the mansion and attempts to go legitimate by donating money to a bank to earn a board seat, hoping to honor his father's wish for an honest vocation.

Early scenes establish Snaps' conflicted nature as he balances old loyalties with his new aspirations.

snaps provolonepromise to fatherreformgangstergoing straight
Q2

Why does Lisa pretend to be pregnant?

A.

Lisa, Snaps' daughter, pretends to be pregnant at the urging of Nora the maid. Her real motivation is to gain independence from her overprotective father and fulfill her dreams of seeing the world, using the pregnancy lie as a way to force Snaps to allow her to leave home.

Lisa's restless nature and desire for adventure are established early in the film.

lisapregnancy lieindependencemaid norafreedom
Q3

How is Theresa actually Snaps' daughter?

A.

Roxanne, a new maid who arrives at the mansion, reveals she was once Snaps' former lover and was pregnant with his child but never told him. Theresa, who previously claimed to be Snaps' daughter to impress Anthony, is revealed to be Roxanne's daughter, making her Snaps' actual granddaughter, not his daughter as previously believed.

Theresa's connection to Snaps is hinted at through her mysterious knowledge of the household.

theresaRoxannerevelationdaughtergranddaughterfamily secret
Q4

Why does Snaps abandon his attempt at a legitimate life?

A.

After the bankers arrive and Snaps realizes he would be given no real power or respect despite his money, he concludes that legitimate business offers nothing but humiliation. He decides he would rather face the dangers of the underworld than endure the boring constraints of the financial world, choosing crime over respectability.

Snaps' discomfort with the bankers' dismissive attitude becomes apparent during their meeting.

snapscrimelegitimacybankersreturn to crimeunderworld
Q5

What causes the dangerous mix-up with the bags?

A.

Nora's bag of underwear gets confused with Snaps' bag containing valuable jewels. This harmless mix-up fuels the paranoia of Lieutenant Toomey and rival gangster Vendetti, who both interpret it as evidence of smuggling or a criminal meeting, leading them to plan attacks on the mansion.

The constant comings and goings at the mansion establish an atmosphere of suspicion.

bag mix-upjewelsunderweartoomeyvendettisuspicion
Q6

Why does Anthony want to marry Lisa so desperately?

A.

Anthony Rossano, Snaps' accountant, is genuinely in love with Lisa and wants to propose. To afford the engagement, he cooks the books and steals a $50,000 emerald gift, planning to use it as a proposal present. His motivation combines romantic love with a desire to secure a respectable future through marriage.

Anthony's demand for a 250% raise hints at his ambitious nature.

anthony rossanolisamarriagejewelsaccountantproposal
Q7

Why does Theresa lie about being Snaps' daughter?

A.

Theresa confesses that she lied about being Snaps' daughter to impress Anthony, whom she had romantic feelings for. She fabricated the connection to make herself seem more respectable and worthy of his attention.

Theresa's interest in Anthony is visible from her early interactions.

theresaliedaughteranthonyimpressdeception
Q8

Why do Toomey and Vendetti keep watching the mansion?

A.

Lieutenant Toomey, a local police officer, and Vendetti, a rival gangster, both become convinced that Snaps will meet with Chicago mobsters at the mansion. Their surveillance stems from怀疑 that Snaps' reform is a front for continuing criminal operations, though their suspicions are ultimately unfounded.

The opening establishes Snaps' criminal past, making him a target of law enforcement attention.

toomeyvendettisurveillancemansionchicago mobsterspolice
Q9

What leads to the double wedding at the end?

A.

Multiple romantic storylines converge: Anthony agrees to marry Lisa after paying $50,000 to Snaps, Theresa reconciles with Anthony after the emotional turmoil settles, and Lisa ultimately falls in love with Dr. Thornton Poole. These engagements result in a double wedding celebration for Snaps' two daughters.

The various matchmaking schemes throughout the day set up the multiple engagements.

double weddinglisaanthonypooletheresamarriagecelebration
Q10

Why does Snaps manipulate Anthony into marrying Lisa?

A.

Snaps manipulates Anthony into agreeing to marry his supposed daughter Lisa and handing over the jewels before anyone learns the full truth. He leverages the prospect of a respectable marriage to gain control over the situation and secure the jewels, using Anthony's love for Lisa against him.

Snaps' calculating nature is evident throughout his interactions with the household.

snapsanthonymanipulationmarriagejewelstrick
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Unlock the Full Story of Oscar

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