Fric-Frac (1939)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Directors:

Claude Autant-Lara
Maurice Lehmann

Writers:

Édouard Bourdet (play)
Michel Duran (writer)

Release Date:

18 March 1940 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Marcel works as assistant to a jeweller whose bossy daughter Renée keeps hitting on him. When he meets lovely Loulou and her lazy friend Jo...

Plot Keywords:

Café | Sunday | Bicycle | Paris | Seduction Game

Cast

Fernandel	...	Marcel
Arletty	...	Loulou
Michel Simon	...	Jo
Hélène Robert	...	Renée
Andrex	...	Petit-Louis
René Génin	...	Blain (as Genin)
Génia Vaury	...	La grande marie
Jacques Varennes	...	Tintin
Marcel Vallée	...	M. Blin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henri Charrett	...	(uncredited)
Clairjane	...	(uncredited)
Claire Darcas	...	(uncredited)
Manuel Gary	...	(uncredited)
Georges Lannes	...	Fernand (uncredited)
Raymond Marcel	...	(uncredited)
Frédéric Mariotti	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Huguette Meunier	...	(uncredited)
Frédéric Moussti	...	(uncredited)
François Simon	...	(uncredited)
Eugène Stuber	...	(uncredited)
Titys	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Claude Autant-Lara
Maurice Lehmann

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Édouard Bourdet		play
Michel Duran		writer

Original Music by
Casimir Oberfeld		(as Oberfeld)

Cinematography by
Louis Née
Armand Thirard

Film Editing by
Posner Spiri		(as Mme. Posner Spiri)
Roger Mercanton		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
René Renoux		(as Renoux)

Production Management
L. Breton	....	production manager
Jean Darvey	....	unit manager (as Darvey)

Sound Department
Robert Ivonnet	....	sound engineer

Camera and Electrical Department
Roger Corbeau	....	still photographer
Roger Arrignon	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Roger Fellous	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Lola Barache	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Ghislaine Autant-Lara	....	script girl (as Ghyslaine Auboin)

Production Companies

• Compagnie Commerciale Française Cinématographique (CCFC)

Distributors

• Les Distributeurs Français (1939) (France) (theatrical)
• Oxford Films (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)

Also Known As:

Fric-Frac (Italy) [it]
Oss tjuvar emellan (Sweden) [sv]

Runtime:

USA:92 min | France:120 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15

Company:

Compagnie Commerciale Française Cinématographique (CCFC)

Silly plot,wonderful actors.

This is Lehman's only claim to fame,although he was helped by Claude Autant-Lara who was to become one of the most important directors of the years to come("Douce","le diable au corps").It's not much of a plot (a fric frac=break-in),but the fabulous threesome make it a winner.Michel Simon plays a gentle thug,so lazy his nickname is "Jo with the arms cut".Arletty is Loulou ,a whore who teaches slang to the respectable Marcel ,a clerk in a jeweller's shop ,object of his two "friends' " desire.A lot of fun is guaranteed for all!