Jacques Dufilho Movies
Supporting actor Jacques Dufilho first appeared onscreen in the '50s. ~ All Movie Guide- 1959
Several top Italian stars, including Toto as a shopkeeper and Also Fabrizi as a tax collector, are featured in this entertaining comedy. The shopkeeper like a lot of others, does not want to pay the taxes he is normally assessed. By his reckoning, they are far too high. So when the tax collector comes around to go over his books, he tries whatever might work to get the man to skim them lightly, preferably looking the other way in the process. Whether or not these proddings are going to have any effect remains to be seen, but in the meantime, the taxman's daughter has fallen madly in love with the shopkeeper's son. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Totò, Louis de Funès, (more)
- 1959
Sly and greedy young people endeavor to use l'amour to get their hands on a fortune in this French comedy. The story begins when an aspiring young artist falls hopelessly in love with his model Julie, an extraordinarily beautiful redhead. He desperately wants to marry her, but his father insists that he abandon the foolishness of art and take over the family business. The dutiful young son does so, but deep down regrets not pursuing his dream. He marries another and produces a son. Eventually he dies, leaving his son only one third of his empire. The rest he bequeathed to the beautiful, long-gone Julie. The son is anxious to find this enigmatic woman so he can buy her out. Unfortunately, she too has died and left the money to her daughter, also a Julie. To get at the fortune, he launches a whirlwind courtship. Unfortunately, things don't quite work out as planned. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Charles Boyer is Maxime in this seriocomic period romance. Maxime is an ageing roue who, partly out of boredom and partly because he needs a steady source of income, arranges the romantic assignations of his protégé, wealthy Hubert (Felix Marten). The old rake's current mission is to weaken the resolve of the lovely Jacqueline (Michele Morgan), who had previously told Hubert to get lost. As it turns out, Maxim falls in love with Jacqueline, especially after discovering that, despite her own impoverished state, Hubert's money means nothing to him. But when Hubert begins acting like a human being instead of a rich jerk, Jacqueline is at last attracted to him, leaving the philosophical Maxim to stand by philosophically, his rogueish smile hiding his broken heart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michèle Morgan, Charles Boyer, (more)
- 1958
In this tragedy, a matador is deeply shaken by the death of a good friend who was gored in the ring and decides to retire. He then moves to a ranch to begin raising fighting bulls. His attempts at peace are disrupted by a nagging girlfriend who wants her lover to keep on being a national hero. Finally he returns to the ring only to get gored to death. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Martine Carol plays the title character in the comedy melodrama Nathalie. The heroine is a professional model who becomes innocently mixed up in a robbery/murder case. Deciding to play detective, Nathalie leads both the authorities and the underworld on a merry chase. She also wins the heart of police inspector Franck (Michel Piccoli), who does his best to shield her from the evil machinations of criminal mastermind Coco (Philippe Clay). A big hit in France, Nathalie also did quite well in the U.S. under the title Foxiest Girl in Paris. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martine Carol, Michel Piccoli, (more)
Better known as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, this opulent French production is the second talkie version of Victor Hugo's famous novel. Buried under mounds of latex, Anthony Quinn does his best as the deformed bellringer Quasimodo, though he comes off more as a punchdrunk ex-pug than a literal interpretation of Hugo's tragic protagonist. Somewhat more effective within the film's framework is Gina Lollobrigida as gypsy dancing girl Esmerelda, whose friendship with Quasimodo motivates the story. As in previous adaptations of the Hugo novel, the villain Frolio (Alain Cluny), originally a priest, is given a less-controversial station in life: in this case, he is an alchemist rather than a man of the cloth. Otherwise, Notre Dame de Paris is one of the more faithful renditions of the original novel, even unto retaining Hugo's unhappy ending. When first released in the U.S. by Allied Artists, the film was titled Hunchback of Paris, to avoid a copyright conflict with RKO's 1939 adaptation of Hunchback of Notre Dame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gina Lollobrigida, Anthony Quinn, (more)
- 1953
Saadia is an MGM-ized version of the Francis D'Autheville novel Echeck au Destin. Produced, directed and written by the always fascinating Albert Lewin (The Moon and Sixpence, Picture of Dorian Gray), the film stars Cornel Wilde as Si Lahssen, the progressive ruler of the Moroccan province of Anahout. Henrik (Mel Ferrer), Anahout's chief physician, rescues a beautiful dancing girl named Saadia (Rita Gam) on the operating table. In doing so, he is in direct violation of local sorceress Fatima (Wanda Rotha). The sorceress vows to destroy Henrik -- and by extension, Saadia, whom he loves, and Si Lahssen, whom she loves. The film isn't entirely successful, but deserves an A for effort. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cornel Wilde, Mel Ferrer, (more)
- 1953
Sang et Lumieres (Blood and Light) stars Daniel Gelin as Ricardo, a dashing matador. After a fellow bullfighter is killed in the ring, Ricardo decides it's time to retire. As a result, his fickle movie-actress mistress Marilena (Zsa Zsa Gabor) flounces out of his life. He is then targeted for persecution by journalist Riera (Arnoldo Foa). Still, Ricardo refuses to be coerced back into the ring. It takes the concerted efforts of the mercenary Marilena and Ricardo's equally greedy manager Naguera (Henri Filbert) to force Ricardo back into action. Tragedy inevitably ensues, though it is tragedy of the "grim irony" variety: Ricardo is not so much killed as he is loved to death by his fanatical fans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Gélin, Henri Vilbert, (more)
- 1952
Martine Carol, the star of the popular period romp Caroline Cherie, once more dons low-cut 18th-century gowns for the 1953 sequel Un Caprice de Caroline Cherie. This time, the toothsome Caroline arrives in Italy with her military officer husband Salange (Jacques Dacquimine). When the country is thrown into turmoil by a political upheaval, Caroline and Salange are rescued by countess Pauline (Vera Norman), who has designs on the husband. Jealous, Caroline decides to dally with handsome ballet-dancer Olivio (Jean-Claude Pascal). It's upstairs, downstairs, in m'lady's chamber for the next eight reels. American distribution of Un Caprice de Caroline Cherie was boosted by the presence in the film of several curvaceous young ladies wearing very little indeed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martine Carol, Jean Pascal, (more)
