I saw a film which fairly closely follows the reviewer's story of the 1972 film. The one I saw was a French Language film, I saw it in an art theater in St. Louis, Missouri in 1950 or 1951. B & W. After a grave discussion of what would be fitting, a public men's urinal was decided upon to be a memorial to the French in WW 1. The public officials dedicated it, you can guess how. There was some sort of disorder between the establishment, the priest, and the communists. The French National Guard was sent in to restore order. The scene dissolves into one of almost orgy and drunken. I forget how it ends, but it is very funny and I do wish I could see it again. Likely to have been made after 1930 and before 1939.--GR
Review of Clochemerle
