La môme vert de gris (1953)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Bernard Borderie

Writers:

Jacques Berland (writer)
Bernard Borderie (writer)

Release Date:

27 May 1953 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot Keywords:

Color In Title | Private Detective | Based On Novel

Cast

Eddie Constantine	...	Lemmy Caution
Dominique Wilms	...	Carlotta de la Rue
Howard Vernon	...	Rudy Saltierra
Darío Moreno	...	Joe Madrigal
Maurice Ronet	...	Mickey
Nicolas Vogel	...	Kerts (as Nick Vogel)
Philippe Hersent	...	Le commissaire
Jess Hahn	...	Le marin-geôlier (as Jess Hann)
Gaston Modot	...	L'inspecteur #1
Monique Aïssata	...	La femme de chambre de Carlotta
Jack Ary	...	Un homme de Rudy
Paul Azaïs	...	Le patron du bistrot
Anne Bunning
Antony Cartier	...	L'inspecteur #2
Christine Chesnay

Also Known As:

Poison Ivy (USA)

Runtime:

97 min | Germany:95 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Compagnie Industrielle et Commerciale Cinématographique (CICC)

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution (1965)

Eddie Constantine's first Lemmy Caution film

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I have enjoyed Eddie Constantine films such as Alphaville, Attack of the Robots, and Hail Mafia. I was curious to see his first film as Lemmy Caution made in 1953. Considering that this film made Constantine a big star in France in 1953, it was disappointing. It is pretty boring, and I'm not sure that it is Constantine's voice that we are hearing (a voice I liked). He is out to stop some smugglers from stealing some gold, and as an FBI agent is dispatched to Morocco.

However, the film may have some interest. The book was written in 1937, this movie made in 1953, the birth of James Bond in Casino Royale. Like Bond, he flirts with the secretary before going to see his boss, he drinks whiskey, were as Bond drinks Martinis. He does not bed women, but he finds any way he can kiss a woman. Even the ending, where he is with a woman, will remind one of James Bond Films, as they are in no hurry to meet up with the police. What was more striking was that this film almost appeared to be a rehearsal for "Thunderball". There is a villain who will remind you of Largo from "Thunderball" played by Howard Vernon, and a woman who is at his side, named Poison Ivy, whose brother, the Vernon character killed. Will she like the female lead in Thunderball, go against this villain? There is a plane high-jacking, a yacht, where our hero is nearly done in, reminded that the sharks might eat him, and a mysterious financier, though not as interesting as Smersh. I could not help but wonder if Lemmy Caution, written by a British Writer, was not an inspiration for James Bond, and what influence "Poison Ivy" had on "Thunderball." A curious aspect of the film is that one of the characters is an alcoholic, and his character is somewhat the subject of ridicule. Yet, our hero drinks a lot (Constantine I have read had trouble with alcoholism) Even getting a drink as he gets up in the morning before going to work. All the drinking that he does, and what one could perceive as an anti alcoholic message is strange, and I found rather disturbing.

If you like Eddie Constantine movies of the 50's and 60's,and also to see what I consider to be the connection to "Thunderball", a far better film I might also add, this might be an interesting film to see, hopefully you won't have to buy it like I did, for between 15.00 to 20.00 dollars, because it sure isn't worth that price.