Don't Touch the White Woman! (1974)
"Touche pas à la femme blanche" (original title)

A highly stylized surreal farce about the events leading up to Custer's Last Stand anachronistically reenacted in an urban renewal area in modern Paris.

Director:

Marco Ferreri

Writers:

Rafael Azcona, Marco Ferreri

Stars:

Catherine Deneuve, Marcello Mastroianni, Michel Piccoli

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Catherine Deneuve	...	Marie-Hélène de Boismonfrais
Marcello Mastroianni	...	George A. Custer
Michel Piccoli	...	Buffalo Bill
Philippe Noiret	...	Gen. Terry
Ugo Tognazzi	...	Mitch
Alain Cuny	...	Sitting Bull
Serge Reggiani	...	The Mad Indian
Darry Cowl	...	Major Archibald
Monique Chaumette	...	Sister Lucie
Daniele Dublino	...	Government Official
Henri Piccoli	...	Sitting Bull's Father
Franca Bettoia	...	Rayon de Lune (as Franca Bettoja)
Paolo Villaggio	...	The CIA agent
Franco Fabrizi	...	Tom (as Franco Fabrizzi)
Laurente Vedres	...	(as Vedres et Boutang)

Storyline

Director Mario Fererri reenacts the events leading up to the Battle of the Little Big Horn in this wild, highly stylized surreal farce set in and around a gaping excavation for a huge urban renewal project in 1974 Paris. The anachronistic backdrop highlights the incongruity of the broad comic characterizations of real life figures George Armstrong Custer, Sitting Bull, and Buffalo Bill.

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Plot Keywords:

farce | urban renewal | george armstrong custer | buffalo bill | sitting bull | 

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Western

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Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

23 January 1974 (France)

Also Known As:

Don't Touch the White Woman!

Filming Locations:

Les Halles, Paris, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Films 66, Mara Films, Laser Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Quotes

George A. Custer: [Talking about Buffalo Bill] That old fag was my scout for two years. He frequently took the wrong path.
[laughs]

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Connections

Edited into Marcello, una vita dolce (2006)

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Soundtracks

"If You Love Georgeann"
Music by Phil Ippesarde
Lyrics by Anne Lonn Berg
Performed by Bob Martin

User Reviews

Surreal and interesting look at how another country sees us

Don't Touch the White Woman is a very strange and surreal film for the average person...it basically tells the story of General George Custer's defeat at Little Big Horn. It tells it as a semi-costume period piece in the midst of modern Paris, though...centered on a large construction site.

Mastrianni is wonderful as Custer, and Deneuve is great as always, but I think Ugo Tognazzi steals the show as the Indian scout...this is such a shocking role for all those who only know the actor through La Cage Aux Folles.