''Action Man'' (, "The Sun of Thieves"; , lit. "Heist of the Century") is a 1967 French–Italian

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...

thriller film directed by

Jean Delannoy Jean Delannoy (; 12 January 1908 – 18 June 2008) was a French actor, film editor, screenwriter and film director. Biography Although Delannoy was born in a Paris suburb, his family was from Haute-Normandie in the north of France. He was a Pro ...

. The movie screened at the Venice Film Festival.For Rick Nelsons It Will Be Twins Dorothy Manners:. The Washington Post and Times-Herald 7 June 1967: C8.

Plot

Denis Ferrand (Jean Gabin), a retired gangster in his sixties, whiles away his days with his wife Marie-Jeanne on a peaceful countryside estate. He is the owner of the quiet Domino bar, managed by Betty (Margaret Lee), and an inn named La Chaumière. Ferrand's attention is caught by the Crédit Industriel du Nord bank office across the street from his bar. He keeps a watchful eye on all the comings and goings at the bank, learning the date when a security convoy is due to arrive with the pay for nuclear power plant workers in nearby Farville. Out of boredom and longing for his life of crime, Ferrand works out a plan for a robbery. While he is fine-tuning his idea, he receives an unexpected visit from Jim Beckley (Robert Stack). An old friend of Ferrand's from

Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

, Beckley is seeking refuge from a smuggling gang. Ferrand decides to kill two birds with one stone: provide shelter for Beckley and employ him in his heist plan.

Cast

Jean Gabin Jean Gabin Alexis Moncorgé (born Jean-Alexis Moncorgé), known as Jean Gabin (; 17 May 190415 November 1976), was a French actor and singer. Considered a key figure in French cinema, he starred in several classic films, including '' Pépé le ...

as Denis Ferrand *

Robert Stack Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American actor and television host. Known for his deep voice and commanding presence, he appeared in over forty feature films. He starred in the America ...

as Jim Beckley *

Suzanne Flon Suzanne Flon (28 January 1918 – 15 June 2005) was a French people, French stage, film, and television actress. She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her performance in the 1961 film ''Tu ne tueras point, Thou Shalt Not Kill''. Flon also re ...

as Marie-Jeanne Ferrand * Margaret Lee as Betty *

Jean Topart Jean Topart (13 April 1922 – 29 December 2012) was a French language, French actor. He was considered one of the best known voices on French television for decades. In addition to providing the voices and narration for television series and anim ...

as Mr Henri *

Walter Giller Walter Giller (23 August 1927 – 15 December 2011) was a German actor. He was very successful in the 1950s and 1960s, when he was often seen as a comedic leading man. One of his most successful and more serious roles was in ''Roses for the Pro ...

as Maurice Labrousse * Lucienne Bogaert as old woman * Georges Aminel as Commissaire Leduc *

Albert Michel Albert Michel (1909–1981) was a French stage, film and television actor.Paietta p.40 Selected filmography * ''Je chante'' (1938) - Un laitier (uncredited) * ''Ne bougez plus'' (1941) - Clanpinet * ''Chèque au porteur'' (1941) * ''Fièvres' ...

as Gaston * as security guard *

Bernard Musson Bernard Musson (1925–2010) was a French actor. Selected filmography * '' The Real Culprit'' (1951) * '' It Happened in Paris'' (1952) * '' Midnight Witness'' (1953) * '' The Slave'' (1953) * '' On Trial'' (1954) * '' Flesh and the Woman'' (195 ...

as Mr Goulette * as Ange Peresi *

Mino Doro Mino Doro (6 May 1903 – 13 April 1992) was an Italian actor who appeared in more than a hundred films between 1932 and 1970. Doro generally played supporting and character roles. He appeared as a blackshirt in the 1934 Fascist propaganda f ...

as Luigi Savani * as an accomplice * as a criminal

References

External links

* 1960s crime thriller films 1960s heist films Films about bank robbery Films about friendship Films about old age Films based on American crime novels French crime thriller films French heist films Italian crime thriller films Italian heist films 1960s French-language films 1960s French films 1960s Italian films {{1960s-France-film-stub