Renée Saint-Cyr Movies

Not a French western, Cowboy is actually a gritty contemporary cop drama. Aldo Maccione stars as Inspector Cesar Cappucino, known throughout Nice as "Le Cowboy" because of his gonzo round-em-up techinique. Right now, Cappucino is hot on the trail of a drug cartel in the South of France. He does what he can from headquarters, then is summoned to clean up another dope ring in Paris. The dual-plot structure of Cowboy suggests that the film was intended as two one-hour TV dramas. Featured in the cast is Renee St. Cyr, the mother of director Georges Lautner. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Gerard Louvier (Gerard Lanvin), a young criminal trying to stay a few steps ahead of a police manhunt, winds up with Julie Boucher (Miou-Miou), a journalist searching out another story -- who thinks he is an up-and-coming judge with leads on her own case. The confusion is a catalyst for some misunderstandings and general uproar, before the different protagonists sort themselves out and their untenable situation is resolved. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

A professional still photographer (Pierre Richard) has long wanted to make a movie from a story about love and politics. When the opportunity arises, he and his lady-love (Miou-Miou) are overjoyed. However, when the producer strongly urges that the movie be transformed into a hardcore pornographic feature, he is seriously tempted to give in, but his strong-willed girlfriend talks him out of it. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Leon's uncle is the head of a criminal gang. Leon (Jacques Dutronc) has lived his life innocent of contact with his uncle (Michel Constantin) and knowledge of the gang. After the uncle has died and left the control of the gang to Leon, gang members show up on his doorstep wanting to be told what to do. In this French comedy, Leon shows an unexpected talent for crime. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In order to fight gangsters, the local townspeople and some hippie tourists overcome their differences in this French comedy/thriller. The villagers had hoped to lure a richer slice of the tourist trade to their town, but what they got were a bunch of fairly grungy hippies. After putting up with their antics for a while, the locals run the hippies out of town, but not far. The Countess' estate is nearby, and she wants them on her land to irritate the gangster who has forced his company on her. When the gangster makes the mistake of alienating the townspeople, his goose is cooked. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Producer/director Sacha Guitry's contribution to the 1956 film season was the free-flowing historical pageant Si Paris Nous Etait Conte (If Paris Were Told to Us). Guitry himself appears as the ghost of King Louis XI, who relates the story of Paris to a group of fascinated modern-day students. As usual, Guitry manages to "humanize" history by depicting the great men and women of France in amusing warts-and-all fashion. Symbolizing the indomitable spirit of Paris is Robert Lamoureaux as Latude, a prisoner of the Bastille who repeatedly tries to escape, and just as repeatedly is captured and thrown back in jail. A note of pathos is provided by Jacques de Feraudy as the dying Voltaire. Though Sacha Guitry suffered a stroke and was confined to a wheelchair throughout much of the filming of Si Paris Nous Etait Conte, he still had two more films left in him before his death in 1957--just 10 days after Bastille Day. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A novel by Pierre Nord was the basis for Captain Ardant. Yves Vincent plays the title character, a two-fisted Foreign Legionnaire. Hoping to save his outpost in Morocco from being overrun by marauding Arabs, Ardant tries to find out who's been running guns to the natives. Not only does this sound like a western, but it also plays the same way. Top-billed Renee St. Cyr seems out of place as leading lady, while some laughs are provided by comic sidekick (now it really looks like a western) Raymond Cordy. Technically, Captain Ardant is on the seedy side, though the final action sequences are worthwhile. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Exotic French film star Viviane Romance was the box-office insurance for Marked Girls. Many observers, however, felt that the film truly belonged to third-billed Renee St. Cyr. Romance plays Regine, a gangster's moll, who befriends Juliette (St, Cyr), an orphaned girl recently released from prison. Both of these "marked girls" have crosses to bear: Regine is the combination lover-patsy of a no-good gangster, while Juliette is being pushed into a wealthy marriage by a scheming female underworld leader. A hint of lesbianism managed to make it past the American censors, though many shots of Viviane Romance's cleavage were consigned to the cutting room floor. Director Francis De Carco adapted the screenplay from his own novel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The title of this French action comedy translates as The Uncatchable Frederic. The Frederic of the title is a character created by novelist Renee St. Cyr. Determined to secure an interview, reporter Paul Meurisse pretends to be Frederic in the flesh, confounding and fascinating St. Cyr. Naturally, she falls in love with her come-to-life "hero," even after ascertaining Meurisse's true identity. The Pirandellian aspects of the film are a bit confusing, but the slapstick and farcical content of the story delighted French filmgoers in 1946. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi