Le magnifique (1973)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Philippe de Broca

Writers:

Philippe de Broca (writer)
Vittorio Caprioli (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

23 November 1973 (France)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

Plot:

Francois Merlin is an espionnage-book writer. He likes to mix every-day character he can met in his book...

Plot Keywords:

Writer | Action Heroine | Bad Guy | Shark | Blood

Cast

Jean-Paul Belmondo	...	Bob Saint-Clair / François Merlin
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Tatiana / Christine
Vittorio Caprioli	...	Karpof / Charron
Hans Meyer	...	Colonel Collins
Monique Tarbès	...	Mrs. Berger
Mario David
Bruno Garcin	...	Pilu
Raymond Gérôme	...	General Pontaubert
Jean Lefebvre	...	The electrician
Fabrizio Moresco
André Weber	...	The plumber
Hubert Deschamps	...	Le vendeur
Bernard Musson	...	Interpreter
Thalie Frugès	...	Publishing House Hostess
René Barrera	...	The Chinese / The Bride
Rodrigo Puebla	...	Benson (as Rodrigo A. Puebla)
Jean-Pierre Rambal	...	The Lecturer
Gaëtan Noël	...	Doctor
Micha Bayard
Roger Muni
Victor Jarson
Caline Bautte
Claude Salino
Jean-Paul Jarre
Max Desrau
Robert Berri		(as Robert Berry)
Lucienne Legrand
Guy Simonnet
Sébastien Floche
Laure Moutoussamy	...	Une amie de Charron
Michel Thomass	...	Le faux pope
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pierre Assena	...	Jean (uncredited)
Maurice Auzel	...	Mécanicien aéroport (uncredited)
Jack Berard	...	Interpreter (uncredited)
Philippe de Broca	...	Un plombier (uncredited)
Henry Czarniak	...	(uncredited)
Raoul Guylad	...	The Albanian (uncredited)
Charly Koubesserian	...	Guard (uncredited)
Louis Navarre	...	Intrepreter (uncredited)
Jacques Wajsmark	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Philippe de Broca

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Philippe de Broca		writer
Vittorio Caprioli		writer
Jean-Paul Rappeneau		writer
Francis Veber		uncredited

Produced by
Robert Amon	....	associate producer
Georges Dancigers	....	producer
Alexandre Mnouchkine	....	producer

Original Music by
Claude Bolling

Cinematography by
René Mathelin

Film Editing by
Henri Lanoë

Art Direction by
François de Lamothe

Set Decoration by
Robert Christidès

Makeup Department
Marc Blanchard	....	key hair stylist
Charly Koubesserian	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Alain Belmondo	....	production manager
Alain Pancrazi	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tony Aboyantz	....	assistant director
Claude Gorsky	....	assistant director
Jesús Marín	....	assistant director

Art Department
Jacques Brizzio	....	assistant decorator (as Jack Brizio)
Pierre Duquesne	....	assistant decorator

Sound Department
Jean Labussière	....	sound engineer
Jean Nény	....	sound engineer

Special Effects by
Georges Iaconelli	....	special effects
León Ortega	....	special effects
André Pierdel	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Philippe Bordas	....	assistant camera
Maurice Chapiron	....	still photographer
Jean-Paul Cornu	....	assistant camera
Jean-Paul Schwartz	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Monique André	....	assistant editor
Catherine Dubeau	....	assistant editor

Other crew
René Chateau	....	press attache
Suzanne Durrenberger	....	script supervisor
Elisabeth Manet-Schwatz	....	production secretary
Janine Ruault	....	administrator
Armando Solís	....	administrator
Louis Trinoner	....	administrator
Georges Aminel	....	voice dubbing: Karpof/Charron/Colonel Collins (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cerito Films
• Cineriz
• Les Films Ariane
• Mondex Films
• Oceania Produzioni Internazionali Cinematografiche
• Produzione Intercontinentale Cinematografica (PIC)
• Rizzoli Film
• Simar Films

Distributors

• Compagnie Commerciale Française Cinématographique (CCFC) (1973) (France) (theatrical)
• Cine III (1976) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)

Also Known As:

Come si distrugge la reputazione del più grande agente segreto del mondo (Italy)
How to Destroy the Reputation of the Greatest Secret Agent... (UK)
The Magnificent One
The Magnificient Secret Agent (Philippines: English title)

Runtime:

95 min | France:93 min | Germany:94 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

Albanian | French | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16 | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

17 rue des Tournelles, Paris 4, Paris, France

Company:

Cerito Films

Trivia:

No screenwriter is listed in the credits of the movie whose original script was in fact written by Francis Veber. In the DVD commentary, director Philippe de Broca explains that he thought that the character of Christine needed to be fleshed out. Veber disagreed and eventually director Jean-Paul Rappeneau was called to settle the question. Rappeneau agreed with de Broca and both of them rewrote part of Veber's script. Veber made strong reservations about the rewrite, and after seeing the finished movie, asked that his name be removed from the credits.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the black typewriter breaks down, we briefly see Merlin typing on the new white typewriter that he will buy later in the movie.

Quotes:

Bob Saint-Clair: Ah, betrayed!

Movie Connections:

Remade as Bob le magnifique (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Cucurrucucu Paloma

First Half Genius

The first half of "Le Magnifique" is postmodern tongue-in-cheek genius, a wild, ludicrous and in every department excellent mixture of James Bond spoof, splatter effects, slapstick, intertextual verve and romantic comedy clearly exceeding the ten stars limit, plus a downright irresistible Jacqueline Bisset (and I'm not even into brunettes). The second half, hmm, doesn't really come as a letdown, but sticks more to conventional vaudeville formulas and simply can't live up to the absurd roller-coaster folly already established, a few bitter tones possibly due to Francis Veber, a prolific and superb, but sometimes uneven writer who also worked on the script. The Canal Plus DVD features the French original as well as the English and German dub. As for comic dramas of the 70s, unorthodox and essential viewing.