1971, Film: “Le casse”

The French-Italian film "Le casse" (English: "The Burglars") is released in France on 27 October 1971. Directed by Henri Verneuil and starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Omar Sharif, Dyan Cannon and Robert Hossein, the film is based on the 1953 novel "The Burglar" by David Goodis. The music was composed by Ennio Morricone with two songs by Mireille Mathieu "Mon ami de toujours" and "Pas vu, pas pris". "Le casse" is a remake of the 1957 film "The Burglar" directed by Paul Wendkos starring Dan Duryea, Jayne Mansfield and Martha Vickers.

The film was a French box office hit, it was Verneuils third biggest success after "La Vache et le Prisonnier" with Fernandel (1959) and "Le Clan des Siciliens" with Jean Gabin, Alain Delon and Lino Ventura (1969). "Le casse" was the fifth time Verneuil worked with his favorite leading actor Jean-Paul Belmondo. The first four films were "La française et l'amour" (1960), "Un singe en hiver" (1962), "Cent mille dollars au soleil" (1964) and "Week-end à Zuydcoote" (1964).

Left to right: Renato Salvatori, Jean-Paul Belmondo,
Henri Verneuil, Omar Sharif and Robert Hossein

Jean-Paul Belmondo and Omar Sharif

Trivia

• The movie was shot in French and English by the same cast.
• The film is known for the famous car chase through Athens with a red Fiat 124 Special T driven by Jean-Paul Belmondo (doubled by Rémy Julienne) and a black Opel Rekord A driven by Omar Sharif (doubled by Remo Mosconi).

Dyan Cannon and Jean-Paul Belmondo

Dyan Cannon and Omar Sharif

Synopsis

In Athens a group of professional burglars led by Azad (Jean-Paul Belmondo) rob a suitcase of emeralds from a rich Greek citizen, M.Tasco (José Luis de Vilallonga). When Athenian police chief Abel Zacharia (Omar Sharif) spots Azad's car in front of Tasco's house on the night of the robbery, he decides to let Azad and his team go, hoping he could retrieve the emeralds for himself...

Omar Sharif and Opel Rekord A

Main cast

• Jean-Paul Belmondo as Azad
• Omar Sharif as Abel Zacharia
• Robert Hossein as Ralph
• Dyan Cannon as Lena
• Renato Salvatori as Renzi
• Nicole Calfan as Helene
• José-Luis de Villalonga as Tasco
• Myriam Colombi as Madame Tasco

"Le casse" intro (1971)

"Le casse" car chase (1971)