Pépé le Moko (1937)

Pépé le Moko is a gangster from Paris that hides in Algier's Casbah. In the Casbah, he is safe and is able to elude the police's attempts to capture him. But he misses his freedom, after ... See full summary »

Director:

Julien Duvivier

Writers:

Henri La Barthe (novel), Henri La Barthe (scenario),

Stars:

Jean Gabin, Gabriel Gabrio, Saturnin Fabre

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Gabin	...	Pépé le Moko
Gabriel Gabrio	...	Carlos
Saturnin Fabre	...	Le Grand Père
Fernand Charpin	...	Régis (as Charpin)
Lucas Gridoux	...	Slimane
Gilbert Gil	...	Pierrot (as Gilbert-Gil)
Marcel Dalio	...	L'Arbi (as Dalio)
Charles Granval	...	Maxime (as Granval)
Gaston Modot	...	Jimmy
René Bergeron	...	Meunier (as Bergeron)
Paul Escoffier	...	Louvain (as Escoffier)
Roger Legris	...	Max (as Legris)
Jean Témerson	...	Gravère (as Temerson)
Robert Ozanne	...	Gendron
Philippe Richard	...	Janvier

Storyline

Pépé le Moko is a gangster from Paris that hides in Algier's Casbah. In the Casbah, he is safe and is able to elude the police's attempts to capture him. But he misses his freedom, after two years in the Casbah. He meets a gorgeous Parisian tourist, Gaby, and they fall in love. Native inspector Slimane tries to use her to attract Pépé out of the Casbah in order to catch him.

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Plot Keywords:

casbah | police | inspector | gangster | arrest | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French Arabic

Release Date:

3 March 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

Algeri

Filming Locations:

Algiers, Algeria

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$14,100 (USA) (1 March 2002)

Gross:

$153,936 (USA) (18 October 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paris Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (R.C.A. Photophone)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There are two cast lists in the title credits. The first one only list the 8 main players as follows: Jean Gabin, Mireille Balin, Gabriel Gabrio, Lucas Gridoux, Gilbert Gil (as Gilbert-Gil), Lino Noro, Saturnin Fabre and Fernand Charpin (as Charpin). Then a full cast list details all male players along with their respective character names, followed by the female cast (also with the names of their characters)

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Goofs

In a scene after Pierrot's death, Pepe is getting progressively drunker and his suit coat opens to reveal more of his shirt. His shirt has the monogram of "JG" on the pocket; clearly the monogram of the actor (Jean Gabin) and not the character.

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Quotes

Pépé le Moko: Our friend Slimane is funny! He means it! He wants to arrest me! Delusions of the grandeur.
Inspecteur Slimane: I'll get you! It's written!
Pépé le Moko: Sure, sure, sure, sure.
Inspecteur Slimane: You're funny!
Pépé le Moko: How much time will I have?
Inspecteur Slimane: Consult a fortune teller.

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Connections

Referenced in Scent-imental Over You (1947)

User Reviews

Film noir from the French, before they invented the phrase

"Pepe Le Moko" is an early film noir, coming several decades before the French themselves invented the term to explain atmospheric American crime films. And it is one of the best, a film ranking right up there with the work of Melville, Becker, and other top post war directors.

This is being billed in the US now as a sort of lost film. Actually, it wasn't lost. Hollywood simply bought the rights and kept it off American movie screens so it could release its own remake of it in 1938, retitled "Algiers." That wasn't a half bad film, made enjoyable for the most part because it was a very off-beat story, had great atmosphere and featured the breathtakingly beautiful Hedy Lamarr in the role of Gaby.

At first, when looking at this French original, you wonder why it seems so familiar. Then you realize that the Hollywood version is almost a shot for shot remake, copying almost everything. Everything, that is, but the performance of Jean Gabin.

Hollywood's version, which stared Charles Boyer, always seemed a little contrived, primarily because Boyer was just not very convincing as the tough Paris gangster who pulls a bank heist and flees to Algiers, where he takes up permanent residence in the Arab quarter, the Casbah. Boyer just didn't seem like the gangster type.

Gabin, who had played rough characters before and would go on to play many others, is perfect as the smart, charismatic, but sometimes brutal Pepe.

It is ironic that the French, so in love with gangster films that they copied American cops and robbers films of the 30s, actually made one of their own in that era that wound up being copied by the Americans.

This one is well worth seeing.