Casque d'Or (1952) Casque d'or (original title)

Director:

Jacques Becker

Writers:

Jacques Becker (scenario) and
Jacques Companéez (scenario) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 August 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

L'histoire d'une femme dont chaque amour fut...

Plot:

In an open-air dance hall, the members of Leca's gang are relaxing with their ladies. One of them, Marie...

Plot Keywords:

Carpenter | Gang | Belle Epoque | Love | Friendship

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Simone Signoret	...	Marie 'Casque d'Or'
Serge Reggiani	...	Georges Manda
Claude Dauphin	...	Félix Leca
Raymond Bussières	...	Raymond
Odette Barencey	...	La mère d'Eugène
Loleh Bellon	...	Léonie Danard
Solange Certin
Daniel Mendaille	...	Le patron de la guinguette / Guinguette
Dominique Davray	...	Julie
Jacqueline Dane
Paul Barge	...	L'inspecteur Juliani / Police Insp. Giuliani
Paul Azaïs	...	Ponsard
Jean Clarieux	...	Paul
Tony Corteggiani	...	Le commissaire / Superintendent
Émile Genevois	...	Billy (as Emile Genevois)
Marc Goutas	...	Guillaume
Gaston Modot	...	Danard
William Sabatier	...	Roland Dupuis
Fernand Trignol	...	Le patron de "L'ange Gabriel" / The restaurant keeper (as Trignol)
Anne Beressy
Marianne Bergue
Jacqueline Canterelle
Gisèle Delzen
Suzanne Grey	...	Une fille à la guinguette
Simone Jarnac
Yette Lucas	...	Adèle
Jacqueline Marbaux		(as Jacqueline Marbaut)
Pâquerette	...	La grand-mère d'Anatole (as Paquerette)
Pomme	...	La concierge
Georgette Talazac	...	Une bourgeoise à la guinguette
Yvonne Yma	...	La patronne de "L'ange gabriel"
Léon Bary	...	Un client chic de "L'ange Gabriel")
Dalphin
Abel Coulon
Jean Degrave	...	Un client chic de "L'ange Gabriel")
Max Lancourt
Pierre Leproux	...	Le gendarme du fourgon (as Pierre Le Proux)
Roland Lesaffre	...	Anatole (waiter)
Julien Maffre	...	Jacquet
Marcel Melrac	...	Un cocher
André Méliès	...	Un bourgeois à la guinguette
Bobby Mercier
Louis Moret
René Pascal
Raphaël Patorni	...	Un client chic de "L'ange Gabriel")
Léon Pauléon	...	Un cocher
Raymond Raynal	...	Un gendarme
Marcel Rouzé	...	Un gendarme
Roger Vincent	...	Le médecin / The doctor
Claude Castaing	...	Fredo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Martine Arden	...	(uncredited)
Joëlle Bernard	...	Une fille à la guinguette (uncredited)
Jacqueline Danno	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Jacques Duby	...	Friend in the group (uncredited)
Yvonne Legeay	...	(uncredited)
Maurice Marceau	...	Un client à "L'ange gardien" (uncredited)
Christiane Minazzoli	...	Madeleine (uncredited)

Directed by
Jacques Becker

Writing credits
Jacques Becker		(scenario) and
Jacques Companéez		(scenario)
Jacques Becker		(adaptation and dialogue)
Annette Wademant		(scenario collaborator) uncredited

Produced by
Raymond Hakim	....	producer
Robert Hakim	....	producer
André Paulvé	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Van Parys

Cinematography by
Robert Lefebvre		(as Robert Le Febvre)

Film Editing by
Marguerite Renoir

Production Design by
Jean d'Eaubonne		(as Jean D'Eaubonne)

Set Decoration by
Maurice Barnathan

Costume Design by
Mayo

Makeup Department
Alex Archambault	....	hair stylist
Boris Karabanoff	....	makeup artist (as B. Karabanoff)
Maguy Vernadet	....	makeup artist (as M. Vernadet)

Production Management
Henri Baum	....	production manager
Ulrich Picard	....	assistant production manager (as U. Pickard)
Louis Théron	....	unit manager (as Louis Theron)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marcel Camus	....	assistant director
Michel Clément	....	second assistant director
Alain Jessua	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Émile Dechelle	....	set dresser (as Dechelle)
Marc Frédérix	....	assistant decorator
Alfred Marpaux	....	designer (as F. Marpaux)
Maurice Terrasse	....	property master (as Terrasse)

Sound Department
Gaston Ancessi	....	sound assistant (as Ancessi)
Auboiroux	....	sound assistant
Antoine Petitjean	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean-Marie Maillols	....	assistant director of photography
Gaston Muller	....	assistant camera
Francis Rivolan	....	crane operator
Gilbert Sarthre	....	assistant camera
André Tixier	....	chief electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marcelle Desvignes	....	costume execution
Georgette Fillon	....	chief costumer
Marie-Rose Lebigot	....	costumer designer: corsets (as Marie Rose Le Bigot)

Editorial Department
Geneviève Vaury	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Colette Crochot	....	script girl
Maurice Vandair	....	publisher

Production Companies

• Robert et Raymond Hakim

Distributors

• Paris Film (1952) (France) (theatrical)
• Spéva Films (1952) (France) (theatrical)
• DisCina International (1952) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1977) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Criterion Collection, The (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• StudioCanal (2001) (France) (DVD) (special edition)
• Eye Film Instituut (2012) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Oefram Filmverleih (1953) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Arthaus Filmverleih (2012) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Lanvin  costume makers (uncredited)
• Optihopne  sound post-production

Also Known As:

"Casque d'or" - France (original title)
"Golden Marie" - USA

Runtime:

96 min | USA:94 min | West Germany:85 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Optiphone)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (2007) | UK:X (1952) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | West Germany:18 (nf) | USA:Not Rated | Germany:6 (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Quartier de la Goutte d'Or, Paris 18, Paris, France

Company:

Robert et Raymond Hakim

Trivia:

This was Jacques Becker's own favorite film, and the only one of his movies to receive wide international release.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Bad Company (1999)

An instant classic,

Not being a Becker fan *at all* I guess I can be objective. This film is enjoyable like if it weren't a classic. Once begun, you'll want to watch it till the end. Simone looks gorgeous here, IMDb reviewer "pzanardo" from Padova, Italy is right when he writes that the director seems to have filmed her specially well. By the way, have you noticed how bad Italians fare on French period films? Thérèse Raquin (1953) from the next year is one of a string of examples...

The Mafia aspect is so naive it's almost lovable in comparison with nowadays'. So is the city, the police, the woman/man relationships, class divisions... Félix Leca's character is stereotype incarnate, but at the same time very "believable", in spite of his constant narcissism and tics.

Trevor Willsmer on Amazon is right at why it works: we expect a romantic period piece but during the knives fight in the beginning we realize crime is never nice, only made to look so. Yet somehow, our aesthetically expectations still are about something "nice", while the plot is dark. The police seems like a pantomime, in most of the film the State seems to be absent, and Félix the only one who does the thinking for everybody. The romance is almost enhanced by the heavy censorship. Nothing whatsoever is "shown" (even a kiss on the grass turns into the sky :)) but you feel enough passion. Signoret specially knows how to vibrate with a swagger attitude. Look at her entering a bar, greeting everybody, self assured and always knowing how to deal with men. Manda on the contrary, is a "too perfect hero" to be of my liking. My favourite scene is when he's doing nothing with a branch and she takes the initiative: "Kiss me" and then we have to watch the sky, if not, we'll burn :).

Randy Buck on Amazon is right the film has a sort of documentary feel totally lacking in "Gangs of New York", that Willsmer writes was heavily influenced by this gem.

Then only moment Félix Leca looses the grip of authority is when he is responsible of Raymond's death. Even thugs have rules... On the contrary, when they dispose of the blonde barman who talked too much, only the dumbest of them feels sorry for it.

It's true it's not exactly believable that a mobster would be so cautious and "Machiavellian" when he could just grab and use the lady, but, sincerely, I don't care for feasibility in this sort of films.

It's only with a twinge of nostalgia that I corroborate the swarm of reviewers & fans this film has. I'm absolutely glad about it, as of having watched this film.