Le gentleman d'Epsom (1962)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Gilles Grangier

Writers:

Michel Audiard (writer)
Gilles Grangier (writer)

Release Date:

1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Plot:

The story takes place in the racecourses around Paris. A so-called major sells his tips to naive characters. |

Plot Keywords:

Horse | Handicapper

Cast

Jean Gabin	...	Richard Briand-Charmery
Madeleine Robinson	...	Maud
Franck Villard	...	Lucien
Jean Lefebvre	...	Charly
Jacques Marin	...	Raoul
Jean Martinelli	...	Hybert
Joëlle Bernard	...	Ginette
Aline Bertrand	...	La patronne du bar
Léonce Corne	...	Freedman
Marie-Hélène Dasté	...	Tante Berthe
Albert Dinan	...	Léon
Paul Faivre	...	Le vendeur de tickets
Camille Fournier	...	Thérèse
Paul Mercey	...	Oscar Robineau
Alexandre Rignault	...	Charlot

Also Known As:

Duke of the Derby
Il re delle corse (Italy)
Les grands seigneurs: le gentleman d'Epsom
The Gentleman from Epsom

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S

Company:

Compagnia Cinematografica Mondiale (CCM)

slumming in 1962 Paris

I watch this from time to time; each time it's a little more entertaining. It's not as good as some of the other later Jean Gabin films - Touche Pas au Grisbi, or Traversee de Paris - but it's a lot more relaxed. Jean Gabin is a sad piece of gambling wreckage, living from horserace to horserace by bullying his clientele to take shoddy tips. His pride and bluster are still intact, though, and what baldfaced lies he gets away with! The snapshot views of 1962 Paris are nice too - the Bois de Boulogne walkers, French horseracing, even a woman learning to cook pheasant from a TV show (and I thought that "la bonne cuisine" was a French genetic trait.....).