The Devil by the Tail (French: Le diable par la queue) is a 1969 French-Italian comedy film directed by Philippe de Broca and starring Yves Montand, Madeleine Renaud and Maria Schell.

[1] The French title refers to the idiom "Tirer le diable par la queue", meaning struggling to make ends meet.

[2] An impoverished aristocratic family living in a crumbling old 17th century château decide to draw in unsuspecting travellers as paying guests, in collusion with Charlie, the village garage man, who is in love with Amélie, the granddaughter of the châtelaine.

The man of the house is exhausted by everything, but the four women, grandmother, her daughter, granddaughter Amélie and a cousin who plays the piano and dreams of a gossamer romance are ready to save the family mansion.

de Broca's predilection for contrasing dreamy characters is represented here by the pianist Jeanne, while the comedy is counterbalanced by editorial writer Patin whose negative diatribes conceal a man disappointed in love.