Casque d'or (1952)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Jacques Becker

Writers:

Jacques Becker (scenario) and
Jacques Companéez (scenario) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 August 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

L'histoire d'une femme dont chaque amour fut...

Plot:

In an open-air dance hall, the members of Leca's gang are relaxing with their ladies. One of them, Marie...

Plot Keywords:

Dance Hall | Death | Jealousy | Gang | Belle Epoque

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Simone Signoret	...	Marie 'Casque d'Or'
Serge Reggiani	...	Georges Manda
Claude Dauphin	...	Félix Leca
Raymond Bussières	...	Raymond
Odette Barencey	...	La mère d'Eugène
Loleh Bellon	...	Léonie Danard
Solange Certin
Jacqueline Dane
Daniel Mendaille	...	Le patron de la guinguette / Guinguette
Dominique Davray	...	Julie
Paul Barge	...	L'inspecteur Juliani / Police Insp. Giuliani
Paul Azaïs	...	Ponsard
Claude Castaing	...	Fredo
Jean Clarieux	...	Paul
Tony Corteggiani	...	Le commissaire / Superintendent
Émile Genevois	...	Billy (as Emile Genevois)
Marc Goutas	...	Guillaume
Gaston Modot	...	Danard
William Sabatier	...	Roland Dupuis
Fernand Trignol	...	Le patron de "L'ange Gabriel" / The restaurant keeper (as Trignol)
Anne Beressy
Marianne Bergue
Jacqueline Canterelle
Gisèle Delzen
Suzanne Grey	...	Une fille à la guinguette
Simone Jarnac
Yette Lucas	...	Adèle
Jacqueline Marbaux		(as Jacqueline Marbaut)
Pâquerette	...	La grand-mère d'Anatole (as Paquerette)
Pomme	...	La concierge
Georgette Talazac	...	Une bourgeoise à la guinguette
Yvonne Yma	...	La patronne de "L'ange gabriel"
Léon Bary	...	Un client chic de "L'ange Gabriel")
Dalphin
Abel Coulon
Jean Degrave	...	Un client chic de "L'ange Gabriel")
Max Lancourt
Pierre Leproux	...	Le gendarme du fourgon (as Pierre Le Proux)
Roland Lesaffre	...	Anatole (waiter)
Julien Maffre	...	Jacquet
Marcel Melrac	...	Un cocher
André Méliès	...	Un bourgeois à la guinguette
Bobby Mercier
Louis Moret
René Pascal
Raphaël Patorni	...	Un client chic de "L'ange Gabriel")
Léon Pauléon	...	Un cocher
Raymond Raynal	...	Un gendarme
Marcel Rouzé	...	Un gendarme
Roger Vincent	...	Le médecin / The doctor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Martine Arden	...	(uncredited)
Joëlle Bernard	...	Une fille à la guinguette (uncredited)
Solange Certain	...	(uncredited)
Jacqueline Danno	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Yvonne Legeay	...	(uncredited)
Maurice Marceau	...	Un client à "L'ange gardien" (uncredited)
Christiane Minazzoli	...	Madeleine (uncredited)

Directed by
Jacques Becker

Writing credits
Jacques Becker		(scenario) and
Jacques Companéez		(scenario)
Jacques Becker		(adaptation and dialogue)
Annette Wademant		(scenario collaborator) uncredited

Produced by
Raymond Hakim	....	producer
Robert Hakim	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Van Parys

Cinematography by
Robert Lefebvre		(as Robert Le Febvre)

Film Editing by
Marguerite Renoir

Production Design by
Jean d'Eaubonne		(as Jean D'Eaubonne)

Set Decoration by
Maurice Barnathan

Costume Design by
Mayo

Makeup Department
Alex Archambault	....	hair stylist
Boris Karabanoff	....	makeup artist (as B. Karabanoff)
Maguy Vernadet	....	makeup artist (as M. Vernadet)

Production Management
Henri Baum	....	production manager
Ulrich Picard	....	assistant production manager (as U. Pickard)
Louis Théron	....	unit manager (as Louis Theron)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marcel Camus	....	assistant director
Michel Clément	....	second assistant director
Alain Jessua	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Émile Dechelle	....	set dresser (as Dechelle)
Marc Frédérix	....	assistant decorator
Alfred Marpaux	....	designer (as F. Marpaux)
Maurice Terrasse	....	property master (as Terrasse)

Sound Department
Gaston Ancessi	....	sound assistant (as Ancessi)
Auboiroux	....	sound assistant
Antoine Petitjean	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean-Marie Maillols	....	assistant director of photography
Gaston Muller	....	assistant camera
Francis Rivolan	....	crane operator
Gilbert Sarthre	....	assistant camera
André Tixier	....	chief electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marcelle Desvignes	....	costume execution
Georgette Fillon	....	chief costumer
Marie-Rose Lebigot	....	costumer designer: corsets (as Marie Rose Le Bigot)

Editorial Department
Geneviève Vaury	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Colette Crochot	....	script girl
Maurice Vandair	....	publisher

Production Companies

• Robert et Raymond Hakim

Distributors

• Paris Film (1952) (France) (theatrical)
• Spéva Films (1952) (France) (theatrical)
• DisCina International (1952) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1977) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Criterion Collection, The (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Studio Canal (2001) (France) (DVD) (special edition)

Other Companies

• Lanvin  costume makers (uncredited)
• Optihopne  sound post-production

Also Known As:

Golden Helmet
Golden Marie (USA)

Runtime:

96 min | USA:94 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Optiphone)

Certification:

UK:PG (2007) | UK:X (1952) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Annet-sur-Marne, Seine-et-Marne, France

Company:

Robert et Raymond Hakim

Trivia:

This was Jacques Becker's own favorite film, and the only one of his movies to receive wide international release.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Mauvaises fréquentations (1999)

Casque d'or :French cinema at its best!

In a poll in 1979 ,Becker's chef d'oeuvre was part of the top ten of the best French movies of all time.

It's arguably Becker's best work;he achieved a luminous movie with many unforgettable scenes : -the small boats on the river,and the pack arriving at the guinguettes,those cafes down by the river Seine which are no longer part of the landscapes.(remember Duvivier's "la belle équipe" ,1936) -all the scenes in the country where the nature seems to protect the lovers as a mother would do.Most of all,this admirable sequence when Reggiani 's sleeping :he opens his eyes and Marie's luminous beauty moves him deeply -never a director filmed Signoret as Becker did- -The scene which climaxes the opus is the one in the church.They hear the whole congregation sing the "Kyrie " in a tiny church:there's a wedding there.So Marie urges Manda to come in and they attend the ceremony.When they leave ,they learn tragic news.Now the bell is tolling for them,even if these are wedding bells.

-The final scenes between Reggiani/Manda and his old pal Bussières /Raymond display Becker's love of loyalty,manly friendship ,a subject which would come back in later works ,muted in "touchez pas au grisbi" and became an absolute pessimism in "le trou" where nobody can be trusted anymore.

-The score which Becker used in the last sequences is none other than the old French folk song "le temps des cerises" actually an organizing song,a revolutionary song ,since it was the anthem of the Commune in 1871.

"Casque d'or" is one of the jewels of the French cinema.Becker used to like the Apaches (=ruffians) ,the outcast,cause he would transfer Leblanc's Arsene Lupin adventures to the screen in 1957.A failed attempt though.But "Casque d'or" generally looked upon as Becker's peak ,hasn't aged a bit.