French audiences were outraged by Boudu's antisocial behavior to the extent that police had to be called to several theaters to restore order. In some areas the film was immediately pulled because of its polarizing effect.
The poet on the bench at the beginning is Jacques Becker, assistant director for that movie. He later directed Casque d'Or (1952) and other famous movies.
The film so scandalized New York Times critic Bosley Crowther when it opened in the States in 1967 that he walked out.
Not released in the UK until 1965.
Not released in the US until 1967.