An old bum becomes infatuated with a pretty young girl who gets entangled with a young gangster.An old bum becomes infatuated with a pretty young girl who gets entangled with a young gangster.An old bum becomes infatuated with a pretty young girl who gets entangled with a young gangster.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 win & 5 nominations total
Robert Balpo
- Un habitué du café
- (uncredited)
Georges Bever
- Le pharmacien
- (uncredited)
Teddy Bilis
- Un secrétaire au commissariat
- (uncredited)
Charles Bouillaud
- L'agent
- (uncredited)
Louis Bugette
- Le brigadier
- (uncredited)
Gérard Buhr
- Un inspecteur
- (uncredited)
Christian Denhez
- Un gosse
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOfficial submission of France for the 'Best Foreign Language Film' category of the 30th Academy Awards in 1958.
Featured review
A nice blend of comedy, romance, and drama
An escaped murderer (Henri Vidal) finds refuge in the cellar of a poor artist's house, where the artist and his derelict friend (George Brassens and Pierre Brasseur) help him out. The film is notable because of its cast - legendary singer Brassens in his only movie appearance, Vidal in a comeback film after one of his many rounds of rehab, and Brasseur in a lovable role that's both comedic and heartfelt. Dany Carrel is also strong as the smart young barmaid who uncovers the secret but then finds herself falling in love, and my goodness, she's stunning besides.
At its heart, and in a lighthearted way, the film examines the limits of selfish and selfless behavior. It's a little stagey in its story-telling and probably too light to be considered film noir, but the biggest issue is in character motivation - it just doesn't seem likely that the irascible character Vidal plays would get such help, and for so long. On the other hand, it's quite watchable, and it engages us early on, with Brassens singing a couple of songs while strumming his guitar, and Brasseur cleverly sneaking drinks from the local bar. He also steals ten cans of foie gras for his friend, and something about how he hurries around with them, then has to hide them from the police by tossing them out the window tickled me. He's a character whose laziness and mooching make him hard to like early on, but whose kindness and unrequited love make us feel for him as the film plays out.
Director René Clair tells the story well and gives us some nice shots, such as a scene of kids running around in the streets chasing and pretending to shoot at each other while Vidal's backstory is related. He also blends comedy, romance, and drama in a warm, entertaining tale.
At its heart, and in a lighthearted way, the film examines the limits of selfish and selfless behavior. It's a little stagey in its story-telling and probably too light to be considered film noir, but the biggest issue is in character motivation - it just doesn't seem likely that the irascible character Vidal plays would get such help, and for so long. On the other hand, it's quite watchable, and it engages us early on, with Brassens singing a couple of songs while strumming his guitar, and Brasseur cleverly sneaking drinks from the local bar. He also steals ten cans of foie gras for his friend, and something about how he hurries around with them, then has to hide them from the police by tossing them out the window tickled me. He's a character whose laziness and mooching make him hard to like early on, but whose kindness and unrequited love make us feel for him as the film plays out.
Director René Clair tells the story well and gives us some nice shots, such as a scene of kids running around in the streets chasing and pretending to shoot at each other while Vidal's backstory is related. He also blends comedy, romance, and drama in a warm, entertaining tale.
- gbill-74877
- Nov 23, 2018
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Ulica jorgovana
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 46 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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