Michel Piccoli Movies

John Payne stars as legendary pirate Barbarossa -- aka Redbeard -- in Raiders of the Seven Seas. Capturing a Spanish galleon almost single-handedly, Barbarossa claims haughty Contessa Alida (Donna Reed) as his own property. Engaged to marry naval officer Alfredo (Gerald Mohr), Alida despises Barbarossa, but she changes her mind when she finds out what a louse Alfredo can be. All loose plot strands are neatly tied up during the swashbuckling finale, wherein Barbarossa leads an attack on Havana. The supporting cast of Raiders of the Seven Seas is populated with such familiar faces as Lon Chaney Jr., Henry Brandon, and Frank DeKova. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Beautifully photographed, this comedy drama from Jean Renoir chronicles the revival of Paris' most notorious dance as it tells the story of a theater producer who turns a humble washerwoman into a star at the Moulin Rouge. The film is also title Only the French Can. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Recharging his creative batteries with a "commercial" venture, director Luis Bunuel came up with the stylish if undistinguished La Mort en ce Jardin (Death in This Garden). Set in a steaming jungle, the film concerns a disparate group of refugees from a despotic military regime. Among these worthies is "good time girl" Djin (Simone Signoret), ageing miner Castin (Charles Vanel) and deaf-mute Marie (Michele Girardon). The deeper the protagonists venture into the jungle, the more Bunuel's patented surrealism begins to surface. Only two of the escapees survive the ordeal, and they aren't necessary the two whom the viewers are rooting for. Some prints of La Mort en ce Jardin bear the title Gina. hel) F Lorsque L'Enfant Paris (When the Child Appears) was adapted from the hit play by Andre Roussin. The story revolves around the efforts of a well-meaning, highly moralistic minister, who wants the government to clamp down on illegitimacy. Complications ensue when the minister's own wife become pregnant--and all evidence indicates that the child is not his. Adding to the protagonist's headaches, his daughter, on the eve of her wedding to a wealthy young man, announces that she, too, may well be in the family way. Not to be left out, the minister's son declares that he thinks he's impregnated his father's secretary! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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

Though much of its glory had faded by 1958, France's Tabarin nightclub still held a fascination for tourists and patrons. Filmed on location at the fabled nightspot, Tabarin is a colorful 110-minute dramatized documentary. Its narrative is held together by the efforts of American choreographer Lee Sherman, who works at the Tabarin in hopes of someday opening a club of his own. This thinnish scenario is essentially an excuse for an endless parade of flashy dance numbers, featuring fetchingly underdressed chorines. Gloriously old-fashioned in approach and appeal, Tabarin proved moderatly successful upon its first release. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Not reaching much beyond a routine and predictable crime-romance story, La Bete a L'Afflut features (Francoise Arnoul) as an attractive widow faced with an unusual dilemma. A convict has escaped from prison and gets into her place, whereupon she is prevented from calling the police. The interaction between the widow and the convict soon evolves into a steamy love affair, though that in no way means he is going to remain safe from capture. This was one of the last films of director Pierre Chenal, known for his crime dramas. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this crime drama, a crook tries to pull off the biggest job of his illustrious career by stealing extremely important, valuable documents. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Upper-crust intrigue, murder, and passions are mixed together in this routine, slow-paced murder mystery by Jean Delannoy. A wily photographer has been murdered, and there are several suspects. The victim was a blackmailer, and his target was a wealthy family headed by the rich and ruthless J.K. (George Sanders), now married to a woman of opulent means. It turns out that the blackmailer was the lover of J.K.'s former wife Madeleine (Annie Girardot in one of her early starring roles), and J.K. himself seems not to have forgotten Madeleine in spite of their divorce. Naturally, he is one of the primary suspects in the case. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide