Drunk with revenge, and ready to do anything to regain his functions and his wealth, he manipulates his former valet Blaze, overcome with love for the sovereign, in order to compromise the latter.

The idea of adapting Victor Hugo's romantic drama into a comedy film came to Gérard Oury in 1960, when he performed the play at the Comédie-Française.

The great success of his films Le Corniaud in 1965 and La Grande Vadrouille in 1966 allowed his idea to see the light of day.

After Bourvil's death from cancer in September 1970, and at the suggestion of Simone Signoret, Oury distributed the role of Blaze to Yves Montand.

After being accused by Queen Marie-Anne de Neubourg, a beautiful Bavarian princess, of having fathered an illegitimate child with one of her ladies-in-waiting, he is stripped of his functions and condemned to retire to a monastery.

The day of his presentation at the royal court as the new finance minister, Blaze foils an attack planned against the king by the Grandee of Spain.

Don Salluste wants to arrange a romantic rendezvous with the queen and Caesar (Blaze) in an inn and have them surprised by the king, when they are asleep together in bed.

Thanks to Caesar's help, Blaze makes the king believe, before the eyes of a distraught Don Salluste, that he is Doña Juana's suitor and that the queen is away on a trip.

Finally the king sends Don Salluste and Blaze to the Barbary coast, the first because of his slanderous letter, and the second because he would rather become a slave than marry Doña Juana .