Du rififi chez les hommes (1955)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Jules Dassin

Writers:

Auguste Le Breton (novel)
Jules Dassin (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

5 June 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

["Rififi"] ...means Trouble!

Plot:

Four men plan a technically perfect crime, but the human element intervenes...

Plot Keywords:

Safe | Jewelry | Italian | Burglary | Jewel

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jean Servais	...	Tony le Stéphanois
Carl Möhner	...	Jo le Suedois
Robert Manuel	...	Mario Ferrati
Janine Darcey	...	Louise le Suedois
Pierre Grasset	...	Louis Grutter aka Louis le Tatoué
Robert Hossein	...	Remi Grutter
Marcel Lupovici	...	Pierre Grutter
Dominique Maurin	...	Tonio le Suedois
Magali Noël	...	Viviane
Marie Sabouret	...	Mado les Grands Bras
Claude Sylvain	...	Ida Ferrati
Jules Dassin	...	Cesar le Milanais (as Perlo Vita)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
André Dalibert	...	Webb, le bijoutier (as Dalibert)
Armandel	...	Second gambler (uncredited)
Jacques Besnard	...	Third gambler (uncredited)
Teddy Bilis	...	Teddy Laurentin (uncredited)
Alain Bouvette	...	Footman, 'L'Age D'Or' (uncredited)
Jacques David	...	(uncredited)
Jenny Doria	...	(uncredited)
Alice Garan	...	(uncredited)
Émile Genevois	...	Charlie (uncredited)
Marcelle Hainia	...	Fredo's wife (uncredited)
René Hell	...	Un camelot (uncredited)
Marcel Lesieur	...	Fredo (uncredited)
Daniel Mendaille	...	Lookout (uncredited)
Huguette Montréal	...	(uncredited)
Gilbert Moreau	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Maryse Paillet	...	Charlie's mother (uncredited)
Lita Recio	...	(uncredited)
Marcel Rouzé	...	First gendarme (uncredited)
Roger Rudel	...	French voice of Jo le Suédois (uncredited)
Fernand Sardou	...	First gambler (uncredited)

Directed by
Jules Dassin

Writing credits
Auguste Le Breton		(novel)
Jules Dassin		(adaptation)
René Wheeler		(collaboration) and
Auguste Le Breton		(collaboration)
Auguste Le Breton		(dialogue)

Produced by
Henri Bérard	....	producer
René Bezard	....	producer
Pierre Cabaud	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Auric

Cinematography by
Philippe Agostini		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Roger Dwyre

Production Design by
Alexandre Trauner		(as Trauner)

Set Decoration by
Auguste Capelier

Costume Design by
Rosine Delamare

Makeup Department
Anatole Paris	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jean Goiran	....	unit manager
Louis Mannella	....	unit manager
René Gaston Vuattoux	....	production manager (as René G. Vuattoux)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrice Dally	....	assistant director
Bernard Delandre	....	assistant director
Jean-Jacques Vierne	....	assistant director

Art Department
Louis Charpeaux	....	property master (as Charpeaux)
Pierre Charron	....	set dresser
Roger Fresca	....	tapestry
Georges Kougoucheff	....	set dresser (as Kougoucheff)
Maurice Terrasse	....	property master

Sound Department
Charles Akerman	....	sound
Jacques Lebreton	....	sound
Jean Philippe	....	sound assistant

Camera and Electrical Department
Raymond Bègue	....	still photographer (as Begue)
Changlesy	....	assistant camera (as Chenglesy)
André Domage	....	assistant camera
Raymond Pierre Lemoigne	....	assistant camera (as Lemoigne)
Jean-Marie Maillols	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marcelle Desvignes	....	costume execution
Henriette Ridard	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Denise de Casabianca	....	assistant editor
Nadine Trintignant	....	assistant editor (as Nadine Marquand)

Music Department
Jacques Métehen	....	conductor (as Jacques Metehen)

Other crew
Wilhelmine Berard	....	administrator
Renée Nitzschke	....	script girl

Production Companies

• Pathé Consortium Cinéma (presents) (as Pathé-Consortium Cinéma)
• Indusfilms
• Société Nouvelle Pathé Cinéma (as S.N.Pathé Cinéma)
• Primafilm

Distributors

• Pathé Consortium Cinéma (1955) (France) (theatrical) (as Pathé-Consortium Cinéma)
• Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (2000) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Gaumont DVD (2009) (France) (DVD)
• C.F.R. (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• C.F.R. (1955) (France) (theatrical) (16 mm)
• Rialto Pictures (2000) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release) (subtitled)
• United Motion Pictures Organization (UMPO) (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled) (as United Motion Picture Organization, Inc.)
• Arrow Films (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2002) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (New Zealand) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Éditions Gallimard  book publisher (as La Librairie Gallimard)
• Dusausoy  jewelry: Les joyaux proviennet de la collection (Paris)
• Renel  furs
• Photosonor  studio (as Photosonor ~ Courbevoie)
• Western Electric  sound recording
• S.I.M.O.  sound recording (as SIMO)
• Franay L.T.C. Saint Cloud  studio
• Lax  opticals

Also Known As:

Rififi (UK) (USA)

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

France:-16 (original rating) | West Germany:18 | Finland:(Banned) (1956) (uncut) | Finland:K-18 (1978) (uncut) | Finland:K-18 (1959) (cut) | Australia:M | Norway:16 | France:U (re-release) | Sweden:15 | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Grande Poste, Rue du Louvre, Paris 1, Paris, France

Company:

Pathé Consortium Cinéma

Trivia:

Mexican authorities pulled the movie from theaters after multiple burglaries were committed employing methods similar to those shown.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jo climbs down into Mappin & Webb, he is the fourth and final member of the gang. Yet you can see another pair of legs still in the room above.

Quotes:

Mario Ferrati: [to Tony about Cesar] For a job with you he'll come. Cesar! There's not a safe that can resist Cesar and not a woman that Cesar can resist.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Best of Film Noir (1999) (V)

Soundtrack:

La chanson 'Le Rififi'

the absolute best

If any film approaches perfection, this is the one. Pound for pound and scene for scene it is the best. The only others even close are the Maltese Falcon and Asphalt Jungle, but this is the baby that beats even them. For sheer black and white beauty it is the equal of Asphalt, and just never lets up. Its ending is one of the best of all time, easily the equal of Citizen Kane. And making it even more amazing it that it was cobbled together in desperation: and made for practically nothing. In short, a bloody miracle.

It builds beautifully. Everything in it works, even down to the great music of George Auric.

Shot in early winter or late spring, it is authentic down to the white gangster breaths on the air. Paris never looked more dangerously beautiful.

Of all the films I have ever seen, it is the only one I would give a nine and a half to. And since most of it works very well without comment, probably it is best to just say, watch it and behold.