Pépé le Moko (1937)

Director:

Julien Duvivier

Writers:

Henri La Barthe (novel)
Henri La Barthe (scenario) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 March 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Pépé le Moko is a gangster from Paris that hides in Algier's Casbah. In the Casbah, he is safe and is...

Plot Keywords:

Casbah | Police | Inspector | Gangster | Algeria

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Jean Gabin	...	Pépé le Moko
Gabriel Gabrio	...	Carlos
Saturnin Fabre	...	Le Grand Père
Fernand Charpin	...	Régis (as Charpin)
Lucas Gridoux	...	Inspecteur Slimane
Gilbert Gil	...	Pierrot (as Gilbert-Gil)
Marcel Dalio	...	L'Arbi (as Dalio)
Charles Granval	...	Maxime (as Granval)
Gaston Modot	...	Jimmy
René Bergeron	...	Inspecteur Meunier (as Bergeron)
Paul Escoffier	...	Chef Inspecteur Louvain (as Escoffier)
Roger Legris	...	Max (as Legris)
Jean Témerson	...	Gravère (as Temerson)
Robert Ozanne	...	Gendron
Philippe Richard	...	Janvier
Georges Péclet	...	Barsac (as Péclet)
Mireille Balin	...	Gaby Gould
Line Noro	...	Inès
Fréhel	...	Tania
Olga Lord	...	Aïcha
Renée Carl	...	La mère Tarte
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Franck Maurice	...	Un inspecteur (uncredited)

Directed by
Julien Duvivier

Writing credits
Henri La Barthe		(novel) (as Ashelbé)
Henri La Barthe		(scenario) (as Détective Ashelbé) &
Julien Duvivier		(scenario)
Jacques Constant		(adaptation) (as J. Constant)
Henri Jeanson		(dialogue)

Produced by
Raymond Hakim	....	producer (uncredited)
Robert Hakim	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Vincent Scotto
Mohamed Ygerbuchen		(as Mohamed Yguerbouchen)

Cinematography by
Marc Fossard
Jules Kruger		(as Kruger)

Film Editing by
Marguerite Beaugé

Production Design by
Jacques Krauss		(as Krauss)

Production Management
André Gargour	....	production manager (as A. Gargour)

Art Department
Robert Vernay	....	assistant production designer

Sound Department
Antoine Archimbaud	....	sound engineer (as A. Archimbaud)

Other crew
Mm. Hakim	....	presenter (as MM. Hakim)

Production Companies

• Paris Film

Distributors

• Weltfilm-Vereinigung (1937) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Arthur Mayer & Joseph Burstyn (1941) (USA) (subtitled)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Janus Films (????) (USA) (all media)
• Magnus Opus (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Rialto Pictures (2002) (USA) (subtitled)

Other Companies

• Pathé  studios

Also Known As:

Les nuits blanches (France) (working title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | Arabic

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | West Germany:12 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Algiers, Algeria

Company:

Paris Film

Trivia:

When Walter Wanger produced Algiers (1938), the American remake, he tired to have all copies of "Pépé le Moko" destroyed. Fortunately, he was not able to do so.

Goofs:

Continuity: In a scene after Pierrot's death, Pepe is getting progressively drunker and his suit coat opens to reveal more of his shirt. His shirt has the monogram of "J.G." on the pocket; clearly the monogram of the actor (Jean Gabin) and not the character.

Quotes:

L'Arbi: I told you the truth!
Pépé le Moko: Find another truth!
L'Arbi: It's the truth.
Pépé le Moko: Shut up!
L'Arbi: I swear on my father head!
Pépé le Moko: No risk! He was guillotined.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Settling the Score (2006) (V)

Women Were His Salvation and Doom

In the 30's, in Algeria, the charming Parisian gangster Pépé le Moko (Jean Gabin) rules in the district of Casbah. Surrounded and protected by the women and his gang, he is unattainable by the French and Algerian police forces, but also he has been imprisoned in the area for two years. The police unsuccessfully try to bring Pépé le Moko to the center of Algiers to capture him, and he misses his former life in Paris and Marseilles. The astute and ambiguous Algerian inspector Slimane (Lucas Gridoux) promises to arrest Pépé le Moko the day he leaves Casbah. When Pépé meets the French Gaby Gould (Mireille Balin), she represents everything he misses in his life, and he has a crush on her, bringing a fatal jealousy in his mate, Inès (Line Noro).

"Pépé le Moko" is a great film-noir, with a good romance and excellent locations. The screenplay is very well developed, showing clearly the maze where Pépé is trapped, and explaining each character very well. Jean Gabin has an excellent performance in the role of a seductive criminal; Mireille Balin is extremely elegant, wearing beautiful costumes; and Lucas Gridoux is perfect in the role of the smart inspector Slimane. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "O Demônio da Algéria" ("The Demon of Algeria")