Les dragueurs (1959)

Director:

Jean-Pierre Mocky

Writers:

Maurice Delbez (writer)
Jean-Pierre Mocky (writer)

Release Date:

2 May 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Two young men, one shy and one self-confident, spend a fast-paced night in Paris trying to pick up chicks. They confront every possible difficulty. |

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman

Cast

Jacques Charrier	...	Freddy
Charles Aznavour	...	Joseph Bouvier
Dany Robin	...	Denise
Dany Carrel	...	Dadou
Estella Blain	...	Sylviane
Anouk Aimée	...	Jeanne
Belinda Lee	...	Ghislaine
Nicole Berger	...	Françoise
Véronique Nordey	...	La bobby-soxer
Ingeborg Schöner	...	Monica (as Inge Schoener)
Margit Saad	...	Ingrid
Gérard Darrieu	...	Un ami de Freddy
Jean Roquel	...	Un ami de Freddy (as Jean Roquelle)
Gérard Hoffman	...	Marco (as Gérard Hoffman)
Etienne Dirand	...	Un dragueur au Lido

Also Known As:

The Chasers (USA)
The Dredgers
Young Have No Morals (UK)

Runtime:

78 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Lisbon Films

Trivia:

The French word "drageur" has become very popular and is now referenced in the dictionary since this film.

Not exactly "new wave" but still a blast of fresh air for French cinema

This is technically director Jean-Pierre Mocky's first film (he actually claims to have co-directed George Franju's La Tête contre les Murs, in which he plays, with Charles Aznavour as well). So, Aznavour portrays a shy young man following his friend (Jacques Charrier) chasing after girls in the Paris nightlife of the late 50's. While he is just searching for a girl (any girl), his friend, more romantically oriented, is looking for THE girl of his dreams... Many encounters afterward, they end up in a high society decadent party... Shot in black and white, and already displaying that acid-yet-tender Mocky tone, the film, though very much belonging to its time, is very pleasing to watch almost 50 years after it was made. It has retained its freshness after all these years, and has the same joyous and freewheeling feel as others early Mocky films (like Les Compagnons de la Marguerite). The early films of Mocky (1959 to 1966) are his best I think. Though imperfect and obviously rather hastily made, they have more heart to them than many of his later efforts. Every Mocky film is worth seeing, but these ones are worth going back to time and again, and Les Dragueurs is an especially good pick. Made around the same time as Jean-Luc Godard's first films (and A Bout de Soufflé), this film has common threads with it, and is a damn joyous ride as it irresistibly accelerates towards its ending... Short running time too, proof that a film doesn't need to be overlong to look great!