La traversée de Paris (1956)

Director:

Claude Autant-Lara

Writers:

Marcel Aymé (short story) and
Jean Aurenche (dialogue)
(more)

Release Date:

26 October 1956 (France)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Two men, a painter and a poor guy have to cross over Paris by night during world war II and nazi occupation to delivery black market meat...

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Black Market | Pork | Nazi Uniform | Nazi Soldier

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jean Gabin	...	Grandgil
Bourvil	...	Marcel Martin
Jeannette Batti	...	Mariette Martin
Georgette Anys	...	Lucienne Couronne, la patronne du cafe Belotte
Robert Arnoux	...	Marchandot
Laurence Badie	...	La serveuse du restaurant
Myno Burney	...	Angèle Marchandot
Germaine Delbat	...	Une cliente du restaurant
Monette Dinay	...	Madame Jambier
Jean Dunot	...	Alfred Couronne, le patron du cafe Belotte
Bernard La Jarrige	...	Un agent de police (as Bernard Lajarrige)
Jacques Marin	...	Le patron du restaurant Saint Martin
Hubert de Lapparent	...	L'otage nerveux
Hans Verner	...	Le motard (as Jean Verner)
Hugues Wanner	...	Le père de Dédé (as Hugues Waner)
Louis de Funès	...	Jambier, l'épicier
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Martine Alexis	...	(uncredited)
Béatrice Arnac	...	La femme arrêtée (uncredited)
Paul Barge	...	Le paysan (uncredited)
Georges Bever	...	Un consommateur (uncredited)
René Brun	...	(uncredited)
Anne Carrère	...	(uncredited)
Yvonne Claudie	...	(uncredited)
Anne Cuvelier	...	(uncredited)
Yvette Cuvelier	...	(uncredited)
Anouk Ferjac	...	La jeune fille patriote (uncredited)
Clément Harari	...	L'otage à lunettes (uncredited)
René Hell	...	Le père de Jambier (uncredited)
Henri Lambert	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Albert Michel	...	Le concierge de la rue de Turenne (uncredited)
Michèle Nadal	...	(uncredited)
Hubert Noël	...	Le gigolo arrêté (uncredited)
Maryse Paillet	...	Une femme au restaurant (uncredited)
Claude Vernier	...	Le secrétaire de la Kommandatur (uncredited)
Jean Vinci	...	Le client mécontent (uncredited)
Louis Viret	...	Le cycliste (uncredited)
Harald Wolff	...	Le commandant allemand (uncredited)

Directed by
Claude Autant-Lara

Writing credits
Marcel Aymé		(short story)
Jean Aurenche		dialogue
Jean Aurenche		screenplay
Pierre Bost		dialogue
Pierre Bost		screenplay

Produced by
Henry Deutschmeister	....	producer

Original Music by
René Cloërec

Cinematography by
Jacques Natteau

Film Editing by
Madeleine Gug

Production Design by
Max Douy

Production Management
André Hoss	....	unit manager
Yves Laplanche	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ghislaine Autant-Lara	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Clément Hurel	....	poster artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
René-Christian Forget	....	sound engineer (as René Forget)

Camera and Electrical Department
Gilbert Chain	....	camera operator

Other crew
Geneviève Cortier	....	script girl
Herman G. Weinberg	....	English subtitles

Production Companies

• Continental Produzione
• Franco London Films

Distributors

• Société Nouvelle des Acacias (1967) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Société des Etablissements L. Gaumont
• Trans Lux (1957) (USA) (subtitled)

Other Companies

• Poste Parisien  sound recording

Also Known As:

Four Bags Full (USA)
La traversata di Parigi (Italy)
Pig Across Paris (UK)
Pigs Across Paris (UK)
The Trip Across Paris (International: English title) (literal title)
La travesía de París (Spain) [es]
Mustaa lihaa Pariisissa (Finland) [fi]
Paris yolculugu (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Svart gris i Paris (Sweden) [sv]
Svart kött i Paris (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Zwei Mann, ein Schwein und die Nacht von Paris (West Germany) [de]

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Franstudio, Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne, France

Company:

Continental Produzione

Trivia:

Award : Victoire du Cinéma français 1957

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Une époque formidable... (1991)

Soundtrack:

La Marseillaise

Hugely entertaining

Marcel Ayme's original story goes this way. Martin and Grandgil hire out to a corrupt wholesaler, Jambier, in wartime Paris. They agree to transport about 200 lbs of pork in four suitcases to a butcher who is waiting to receive this contraband (rationing is in effect, remember). Grandgil through his histrionics, increases the fee to 5,000 francs from the original 900. They encounter some fascinating and corrupt people along the way. Martin kills Grandgil at the latter's studio: he's enraged by the artist's lack of concern for the value of work and the concept of honor. Martin delivers the pork finally and is arrested for murder.

Well, you wouldn't recognize the story that Aurenche and Bost created out of this sour little saga. They have given it a happy ending. I am not going to tell you what happens to Gabin and Bourvil, but it is a crowd pleaser. I have stated my reserve about late-period Gabin in the past, but here he is terrific. The rant at Jambier's store is very funny: "Jambier, 45 rue Poliveau, my price is a thousand francs!" Bourvil is a great foil for him; he's more rational and less risk-taking than Gabin, if also less imaginative.