Their Last Night (1953)
"Leur dernière nuit" (original title)

Director:

Georges Lacombe

Writers:

Jacques Celhay (adaptation), Jacques Constant (short story),

Stars:

Jean Gabin, Madeleine Robinson, Michel Barbey

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jean Gabin	...	Pierre Ruffin
Madeleine Robinson	...	Madeleine Marsan
Michel Barbey	...	Un gangster
Gaby Basset	...	La fille
Paul Bonifas	...	Le commissaire principal (as Bonifas)
Robert Dalban	...	L'inspecteur Dupré
Suzanne Dantès	...	Mlle Mercier
Jean-Jacques Delbo	...	Antoine
Arthur Devère	...	Le marinier
Luce Fabiole	...	La directrice
Fernand Gilbert	...	Le bistro
Camille Guérini	...	L'oncle de Nicole
Jacqueline Marbaux	...	(as Jacqueline Marbot)
Geneviève Morel	...	La bonne de l'hôtel
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Odette Barencey	...	La cuisinière de la pension

Storyline

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

4 March 1954 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Their Last Night

Company Credits

Production Co:

Compagnie Commerciale Française Cinématographique (CCFC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

Grim movie about self-destructing schoolmarm

Of all the Jean Gabin films TCM has aired in the last month or two, the actor is his cruelest and most deadly here. For once, I didn't care when he died.

This usually handsome devil sports a silly mustache for much of this sardonic film, making it even harder to see what prim, dowdy Madeleine Robinson sees in him. She knows he's a cop killer and bank robber but his alter-ego (a librarian) got her a job so she risks everything to return the favor by helping him to elude the police.

Madeleine seems in almost psychotic denial as she buys Ruffin shirts and makes him tea -- pretending she is the housewife she never got to be. (There are hints something traumatic in her background makes her revert to the victim role.)

Besides its peculiar if not sense-making characterizations, this movie has a few clever lines, and I enjoyed the chorus of "Chevaliers de la Table Ronde," though I couldn't figure out who was supposed to be singing this rousing drinking song.

The movie starts very slow and uninterestingly. Gabin fans will find it worthwhile to stick with this, but perhaps only barely.