Mauvaise graine (1934)

A young man-about-Paris, cut off from his father's money, falls in with a picaresque gang of car thieves.

Directors:

Alexander Esway, Billy Wilder

Writers:

Max Kolpé (screenplay), Jan Lustig (screenplay),

Stars:

Danielle Darrieux, Pierre Mingand, Raymond Galle

Cast

Credited cast:
Danielle Darrieux	...	Jeannette
Pierre Mingand	...	Henri Pasquier
Raymond Galle	...	Jean-la-Cravate
Paul Escoffier	...	Le docteur Pasquier
Michel Duran	...	Le chef
Jean Wall	...	Le zèbre
Marcel Maupi	...	L'homme au panama
Paul Velsa	...	L'homme aux cacahuètes
Georges Malkine	...	Le secrétaire
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Georges Cahuzac	...	Le monsieur
Gaby Héritier	...	Gaby

Storyline

In the 30's, in Paris, the playboy Henri Pasquier is supported by his father, Dr. Pasquier with money and a brandy new car. When Dr. Pasquier decides to suspend the allowance and sell the car to force Henri to get a job, he leaves home and associates to a gang of car thieves. Henri falls in love for the thief Jeannette, and when they are betrayed by their boss, they decide to move to Casablanca and straight their lives.

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Plot Keywords:

car | gang | father | thief | automobile theft | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

17 December 1934 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Bad Blood

Filming Locations:

Place des Ternes, Paris 17, Paris, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Compagnie Nouvelle Commerciale

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First film directed by Billy Wilder.

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Goofs

Pasquier's Buick has different plate numbers in different locations. 03:00 Car enters repair shop. Back plate: 2454RG6 06:50 Arriving at his father's offices. Front plate: 24554OU3 08:50 New owners driving the car away. Back plate: 6439I2 10:20 Pasquier's sees his car parked. Front plate: 2454OU3 11:00 Running away from the bad guys. Back plate: 6439I2 14:50 Arriving at Garage Monico. Front plate: 2454OU3

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Connections

Version of The First Offence (1936)

User Reviews

Very rough but very enjoyable.

When you watch this film ("Bad Seed"), you need to cut it a little slack. After all, the film lacks the polish you'd see in films from Hollywood from this same time period--mostly because French films weren't all that polished! The sound wasn't all that sophisticated and the camera-work left a bit to be desired--but the scripts were often quite clever. In fact, the French made some wonderful films in the 1930s--such as "Le Million", "Le Femme du Boulanger" and "Drôle de Drame ou L'étrange Aventure du Docteur Molyneux"--some of the best films ever, in fact. So don't let the look of "Mauvaise Graine" discourage you--despite being a bit rough, it's an amazingly clever film.

The film begins with an incredibly worthless young man (Henri) driving about town--enjoying the fruits of his father's labor. He is obviously very spoiled and is tough to like. When the father has finally had enough, he sells his son's beloved car and tells him to get a job! Way to go Dad! But Henri IS a jerk, so he follows the men who bought the car--and on impulse, steals it from them! This leads Henri in a direction he certainly never intended, as a real honest-to-goodness gang of car thieves spots him and decides to offer him a job! Where all this goes next, see for yourself.

The film has some definite comedic aspects, such as the one guy in the gang who is always bringing in the most bizarre cars (and buses). But the film isn't necessarily a comedy. It also has elements of romance and even drama--all of which work together well to create a film like you've probably never seen before! This originality of the script is what I really admired--even if the film does seem to glamorize evil...a bit!

A few final notes. First, this is the first film directed by Billy Wilder (he actually co-directed) and soon after this he came to America and became one of the top directors in history. Despite not being among the very, very famous names today, his string of film credits is tough to beat and the only director I can think of that had even more hits during his time was William Wyler. Even the ultra-famous Hitchcock would have probably killed to have achieved the success Wilder achieved during his very long and distinguished career. You don't see the best direction in "Mauvaise Graine"--but you have to start somewhere! Second, perhaps it's just me, but I sure felt strong gay vibes from the necktie lover towards Henri--perhaps it wasn't intended. Third, the way the film ended sure was different and I can't see Hollywood doing it this way....and I like that about the film.

Well worth seeing and a lot of fun.