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).
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Left to right: Renato Salvatori, Jean-Paul Belmondo,
Henri Verneuil, Omar Sharif and Robert Hossein |
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| 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).
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| Dyan Cannon and Jean-Paul Belmondo |
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| 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...
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| 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)
