Touchez pas au grisbi (1954)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Jacques Becker

Writers:

Albert Simonin (novel) &
Jacques Becker (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1960 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Plot:

An aging, world-weary gangster is double-crossed and forced out of retirement when his best friend is kidnapped and their stash of eight stolen gold bars demanded as ransom.

Plot Keywords:

Rival | Gold Bar | Gold | Gangster | Retirement

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jean Gabin	...	Max
René Dary	...	Henri "Riton" Ducros
Dora Doll	...	Lola
Vittorio Sanipoli	...	Ramon
Marilyn Buferd	...	Betty (as Marilyn Bufferd)
Gaby Basset	...	Marinette
Paul Barge	...	Eugène (as Barge)
Alain Bouvette	...	Le chauffeur de taxi (as Bouvette)
Daniel Cauchy	...	Fifi
Denise Clair	...	Madame Bouche
Angelo Dessy	...	Bastien
Lucilla Solivani	...	Nana, la secrétaire de Pierrot
Michel Jourdan	...	Marco
Paul Oettly	...	Oscar
Jean Riveyre	...	Le portier de l'hôtel Moderna
Delia Scala	...	Hughette, la secrétaire d'Oscar
Silvestri
Lino Ventura	...	Angelo Fraiser
Paul Frankeur	...	Pierrot
Jeanne Moreau	...	Josy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Bayard	...	M. Dufiond - un danseur (uncredited)
Jean Clarieux	...	Un consommateur chez Bouche (uncredited)
Jean Daurand	...	Un consommateur chez Bouche (uncredited)
Dominique Davray	...	Une prostituée (uncredited)
René Hell	...	Un consommateur chez Bouche (uncredited)
Robert Le Fort	...	Un client (uncredited)

Directed by
Jacques Becker

Writing credits
Albert Simonin		novel &
Jacques Becker		adaptation &
Albert Simonin		adaptation &
Maurice Griffe		adaptation &
Albert Simonin		dialogue

Produced by
Robert Dorfmann	....	producer

Original Music by
Jean Wiener

Cinematography by
Pierre Montazel

Film Editing by
Marguerite Renoir

Production Design by
Jean d'Eaubonne

Set Decoration by
Robert Turlure

Costume Design by
Marcelle Desvignes		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Jean Lalaurette	....	hair stylist
Jean Paul Ulysse	....	makeup artist (as Jean Ulysse)

Production Management
Pierre Bochart	....	production supervisor
Léon Carré	....	production manager
Georges Charlot	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jean Becker	....	assistant director
Jean-François Hauduroy	....	assistant director (as J.F. Hauduroy)
Marc Maurette	....	assistant director

Art Department
Jacques Gut	....	assistant production designer

Sound Department
Jacques Carrère	....	sound (as Jacques Carrere)
Jacques Lebreton	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
André Dumaître	....	camera operator
Roland Paillais	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Denise Charvein	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ernest Guillon	....	conductor
Jerry Mengo	....	orchestra (as Jerry Mengo et son orchestre)
Jean Wetzel	....	musician: harmonica

Other crew
Colette Crochot	....	production secretary

Production Companies

• Del Duca Films
• Antares Produzione Cinematografica

Distributors

• Les Films Corona (1954) (France) (theatrical)
• United Motion Pictures Organization (UMPO) (1959) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Valiant Films (1960) (USA) (theatrical) (English dubbed)
• Fox Lorber (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Schorcht Filmverleih Gmbh (1954) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Film Office (France) (DVD)
• Rialto Pictures (2003) (USA) (re-release)

Special Effects

• LAX Lab.

Other Companies

• Pianos Pleyel  piano
• Éditions Barclay  music published by
• Éditions Gallimard  novel published by

Also Known As:

Grisbì (Italy)
Grisbi (USA)
Hands Off the Loot

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:18 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Billancourt Studios - 50 Quai du Pont-du-Jour, Paris 16, Paris, France

Company:

Del Duca Films

Trivia:

Italian censorship visa #17225 delivered on 19 September 1954.

Quotes:

Fifi: [after being thrown out of the car] You leaving me here? How am I gonna get back?
Max: [laconically] Try hunting snails, Daddy-o.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Les tontons flingueurs (1963)

Wonderful gangster-story by Jacques Becker

It would be nonsense to give an order of merit to the three cinematic masterpieces by director Jacques Becker. However, personally I love "Touchez pas au grisbi" even more than "Casque d'or" or "Le Trou". In "Touchez pas au grisbi" we find all we can ask from a Becker's film: splendid black-and-white cinematography, evocative, romantic atmosphere, brilliant script, stunning excellence of the actors' job. But here we get more: a tough, perfectly written gangster-story, swift pace and action blended with an outstanding psychological design.

The movie is mainly a story of friendship and honor. We have two old pals, two aged gangsters close to retire: Max (Jean Gabin), smart and clever, well aware that their best years are over, and Riton (Rene Dary), naive and rash, unable to accept the end of their youth, even dumb if you want, but extremely brave and devoted to his friend. Max is constantly grumbling against Riton and the troubles he causes. He scorns Riton's courage... brains and good sense, that's the important thing... But when it's the time for action, we see how deep and touching their friendship is, how ready they are to sacrifice themselves for each other. In other words, there are circumstances when only courage and honor count...

According to his usual style, Becker describes the world of criminals as a weird parallel of the world of "decent people". To be a gangster appears a job like another: a day at the office. See Max's poise and professional way, when he negotiates the value of the "grisbi" (the swag) with the receiver. And when Max is going to face a last-blood gang-war, he quietly leaves a large sum of money to a trusted bar-maid, in case of need "... to tip somebody (i.e. police or judges)... to fix possible problems... you know better..."

Inside a story narrated in the most understated way, Becker inserts unexpected explosions of violence. Take the owner of the Night Club, another old pal of Max's and Riton's. Poised, always silent, short, fat, with thick glasses, he seems the less harmful person. Yet, suddenly, and without a single word of comment, he starts to brutally beat a thug from a rival gang. And, with the machine-gun, he shows himself even tougher than Max and Riton.

Of course, the movie also offers a Gabin's trade-mark scene, when he slaps everybody, men and women as well. Great stuff: toughness mixed with sense of humour. Gabin's performance is at the highest level reached in a glorious career.

What else to add? "Touchez pas au grisbi" is a fantastic masterpiece. Moreover, I guess that this film is good for all tastes , which probably can't be said for other Becker's cinematic gems.