1964, Film: “L'Âge ingrat”

The French drama-comedy "L'Âge ingrat" ("That Tender Age") premieres on 23 December 1964 in Marseille, France. Directed by Gilles Grangier and written by Pascal Jardin and Claude Sautet, the film unites two major stars of French cinema Jean Gabin and Fernandel. Other stars are Marie Dubois and Fernandel's son Franck Fernandel.

Synopsis

Antoine Lartigue (Franck Fernandel) and Marie Malhouin (Marie Dubois), two young students, have got secretly engaged. Antoine is the son of the extravert Mediterranean pedal boat renter Adolphe Lartigue (Fernandel) and Marie is the daughter of the introvert Paris railway executive Émile Malhouin (Jean Gabin). To get to know each-other better Antoine invites the Malhouin's to stay in his St. Tropez villa during the summer holidays...

Marie Dubois as Marie Malhouin and Franck Fernandel as Antoine Lartigue

Fernandel as Adolphe Lartigue, Jean Gabin as Émile Malhouin,
Marie Dubois as Marie Malhouin and Franck Fernandel as Antoine Lartigue

Franck Fernandel as Antoine Lartigue and Marie Dubois as Marie Malhouin

Main cast

• Marie Dubois as Marie Malhouin
• Paulette Dubost as Françoise Malhouin
• Madeleine Silvain as Eliane Lartigue
• Christine Simon as Florence Malhouin
• Nicole Valgran as Sophie Malhouin
• Andrée Brabant as the woman on pedal boat
• Yvonne Gamy as Félicie
• Claude Mann as Charles-Edouard
• Henri Rellys as M. Corbidas
• Jean Daniel
• Franck David as Henri Lartigue
• Joël Monteilhet as Jules Lartigue
• Georges Rostan as Max Lartigue
• Noël Roquevert as L'estivant récalcitrant
• Franck Fernandel as Antoine Lartigue
• Jean Gabin as Émile Malhouin
• Fernandel as Adolphe Lartigue

Jean Gabin as Émile Malhouin and Marie Dubois as Marie Malhouin

Jean Gabin as Émile Malhouin and Fernandel as Adolphe Lartigue

Jean Gabin as Émile Malhouin and Fernandel as Adolphe Lartigue

Trivia

The opening credits are quite rare. All actresses are credited before the actors and the two major stars, Fernandel and Gabin, are mentioned at the very end of the credits. 

Jean Gabin and Fernandel in "L'Âge ingrat"

1968, Film: "Le tatoué"

The French-Italian comedy "Le tatoué" ("The Tattoo") is released 18 September 1968 in France. The film, directed by Denys de La Patellière, was written by Alphonse Boudard. Main stars are Jean Gabin as Comte Enguerand, Louis, Marie de Montignac alias Legrain and Louis de Funès as Félicien Mézeray. The musical score was composed by Georges Garvarentz.

"Le tatoué" is the fourth and last film with Jean Gabin and Louis de Funes acting together. They also starred together in "Napoléon" (1954), "La Traversée de Paris" (1956) and "Le Gentleman d'Epsom" (1962).

Synopsis

In an artist’s studio, wealthy art dealer Félicien Mézeray (Louis de Funès) sees the old soldier Legrain (Jean Gabin), whose back has a tattoo by Modigliani. Without telling Legrain, Mézaray sells the tattoo to two American dealers. It turns out that Legrain is the last and extremely eccentric Count de Montignac...

Jean Gabin and Louis de Funès

Paul Mercey, Louis de Funès and Jean Gabin

Jean Gabin and Louis de Funès

Main Cast

• Jean Gabin as Comte Enguerand - Louis Marie de Montignac aka Legrain
• Louis de Funès as Félicien Mézeray
• Paul Mercey as Pellot
• Yves Barsacq as Le postier
• Pierre Tornade as Le brigadier
• Jean-Pierre Darras as Lucien
• Joe Warfield as Larsen
• Donald J. von Kurtz as Smith
• Lyne Chardonnet as Valérie Mézeray
• Ibrahim Seck as Butler

"Le tatoué" Trailer

1963, Film: “Mélodie en sous-sol”

The French film "Mélodie en sous-sol" (English: "Any Number Can Win") is released 19 March 1963 in France and on 8 October 1963 in the US. The film directed by Henri Verneuil is based on the John Trinian alias Zekial Marko novel "The Big Grab" from 1960. Main stars are Jean Gabin as Monsieur Charles, a mature delinquent recently released from prison and Alain Delon as Francis Verlot, a former cellmate of Monsieur Charles.

From the start the main role of Monsieur Charles was intended to be played by Jean Gabin, but the second role, that of Francis Verlot was to be played by Jean-Louis Trintignant.

Synopsis

Charles (Jean Gabin) comes out of prison after serving five years for attempted robbery. He rejects Ginette (Viviane Romance), his wife, intention for a quiet life of bourgeois respectability. He enlists a former cellmate, Francis Verlot (Alain Delon), to rob the vault of a Cannes casino...

Alain Delon as Francis Verlot

Jean Gabin as Monsieur Charles and Maurice Biraud as Louis Naudin

Jean Gabin as Monsieur Charles and Alain Delon as Francis Verlot

Alain Delon as Francis Verlot and Carla Marlier as Brigitte

Main Cast

• Jean Gabin as Monsieur Charles
• Alain Delon as Francis Verlot
• Claude Cerval as commissaire de Police
• Maurice Biraud as Louis Naudin
• Viviane Romance as Ginette
• Carla Marlier as Brigitte
• Dora Doll as Countess Doublianoff
• Henri Virlojeux as Mario
• José Luis de Vilallonga as Monsieur Grimp
• Rita Cadillac as Liliane
• Anne-Marie Coffinet as Marcelle
• Jean Carmet as barman
• Jimmy Davis as Sam
• Dominique Davray as Léone

Alain Delon as Francis Verlot and Carla Marlier as Brigitte

Jean Gabin as Monsieur Charles and Viviane Romance as Ginette

Awards

• Edgar Allan Poe Awards: Edgar for Best Foreign Film (USA, 1964)
• National Board of Review: NBR for Top Foreign Film (USA, 1963)

"Mélodie en sous-sol" Opening Credits