Eddie Constantine Movies
Eddie Constantine studied voice in Vienna but his career as a singer in the U.S. was unsuccessful. His wife, dancer Helene Mussel, joined the Ballets de Monte Carlo, and he followed her to Paris, where he began singing in nightclubs. Discovered by Edith Piaf, he became her protégé and intimate friend, and she helped him launch a career as a popular recording artist. His film career began in 1953, when he landed the role of a tough American private eye, Lemmy Caution, in a series of French action thrillers based on the novels of Peter Cheyney. His role as Caution culminated in Jean Luc Godard's Alphaville (1965). Constantine starred in movies of other genres, but usually maintained his basic tough-guy, heroic acting style. He is also the author of a novel, Le Proprietaire/The Godplayer. ~ All Movie Guide- 1955
Eddie Constantine is the principal reason to see Ca Va Barder. Once more, Constantine plays a fellow of dubious ethics who nonetheless does the right thing when necessary. This time, he's trying to find out who's been stealing shipments from a gunrunner pal. Posing as his friend, Constantine plunges into the demimonde of European organized crime. He also runs across an ex-lover, now married to a menacing professional knife-thrower. Even without the obligatory chase and fight scenes, Ca Va Barder keeps jumping from first frame to last. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Constantine, May Britt, (more)
- 1954
In this action-filled crime drama, ace gangster Johnny Jordan plys his trade amid gun fire and fisticuffs. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
Eddie Constantine makes his third appearance as Peter Cheney's two-fisted FBI agent Lemmy Caution in Les Femmes S'en Balancent (aka Dames Get Along). In this outing, Lemmy is on the trail of a counterfeiting gang. Somehow or other, the mission requires him to dally with a bevy of international beauties, including Nadia Gray and Dominique Willms. Eventually, Lemmy puts the clues together and locates his quarry, leading to a climactic orgy of violence. Among the villains, the dependable Robert Berri stands out as a menacing hood in the Mike Mazurki tradition. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Constantine, Nadia Gray, (more)
- 1953
The title of this French crime meller translates into The Gun Moll. Eddie Constantine makes the first of several appearances as Lemmy Caution, the two-fisted American government agent created by novelist Peter Cheney. In this outing, Lemmy is dispatched to Casablanca, there to put the kibosh on a gold-hijacking operation. His job is made easier when he wins gun moll Carlotta (Dominique Wilms) over to his side. At 105 minutes, the action flags on occasion in La Mome vert de Gris. Still, the film was successful enough to spawn a whole series of "Lemmy Caution" adventures, including Jean-Luc Goddard's novelle vague fantasy Alphaville (1966). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Constantine, Dominique Wilms, (more)
- 1953
The three stories in this anthology are all set beside the Nile River and are narrated by Joseph Cotten. The first story deals with the potentially dangerous, tumultuous love affair between a knife-thrower and his partner. The knife thrower is married and when his wife finds out about the affair, she gives him an ultimatum that could result in the end of the girl. In the second story, a caravan to Mecca finds itself afflicted with cholera. Now the leader must decide what to do. In the last story, two Yankee con artists attempt to sell holy bread. One of them really wants to use the sacred loaves to smuggle diamonds out of the country. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann Stanville, Jackie Craven, (more)
- 1953
Eddie Constantine makes his second appearance as Peter Cheyney's hard-boiled FBI agent Lemmy Caution in Cet Homme est Dangereux. Curiously, when first we meet Lemmy, he is a crook on the lam. Actually, our hero is working undercover to entrap a French bank robber. Along the way, he becomes a reluctant kidnapper, snatching dizzy American heiress Constance (Collette Doreal). As things turn out, it is Constance who holds Lemmy prisoner at fade-out time--not that he's complaining about it. Based on Peter Cheyney's novel The Gun Moll Poison Ivy, Cet Homme est Dangereux was simultenously filmed in an English-language version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Constantine, Colette Dereal, (more)
