''Last Known Address'' (french: Dernier domicile connu) is a 1970 French-Italian film directed by

José Giovanni José Giovanni (22 June 1923, Paris, France – 24 April 2004, Lausanne, Switzerland) was the pseudonym of Joseph Damiani, a French writer and film-maker of Corsican origin who became a naturalized Swiss citizen in 1986. A former collaboration ...

. This movie is based on the eponymous novel ''The Last Known Address'' by Joseph Harrington. Its theme tune, composed by

François de Roubaix François de Roubaix (3 April 1939, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine – 22 November 1975, Tenerife, Canary Islands) was a French film score composer. In a decade, he created a musical style with new sounds, until his death in 1975. Biography ...

, has subsequently been sampled in several songs, such as "

All n My Grill "All n My Grill" is the second single from Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's 1999 album, '' Da Real World''. The song featured Big Boi of Outkast and vocal ad-libs from her former protégé, Nicole Wray. The song had more success than the first si ...

" by

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

and " Supreme" by

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stu ...

Plot

Marceau Léonetti (

Lino Ventura Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura (14 July 1919 – 22 October 1987), known as Lino Ventura, was an Italian actor who grew up in France and starred in many French films. Born in Italy, he was raised in Paris by his mother. After a first caree ...

), a competent and energetic officer stops by chance the son of an influential lawyer

driving under the influence Driving under the influence (DUI)—also called driving while impaired, impaired driving, driving while intoxicated (DWI), drunk driving, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating under the influence (OUI), operating vehicle under the infl ...

of alcohol. A few months later, the lawyer falsely accuses Léonetti as being violent and incompetent. As a result, Marceau is transferred to a small police station, where the height of his investigative exploits is recovering a young boys stolen pigeons. Contacted by an old colleague of his, who is now head of a special crime unit, Léonetti is enlisted into the unit. There he meets young and beautiful police officer Jeanne (

Marlène Jobert Marlène Jobert (born 4 November 1940) is a French actress and author. Life and career Jobert was born in Algiers, Algeria, to a Sephardic Jewish and Pied-Noir family, the daughter of Eliane Azulay and Charles Jobert, who served in the French A ...

), and the pair are tasked with catching perverts who sexually harass young women in cinemas, in a

sting operation In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person attempting to commit a crime. A typical sting will have an undercover law enforcement officer, detective, or co-operative member of the public play a role ...

with Jeanne acting as bait. Léonetti is given another assignment, to locate and arrest Roger Martin (Philippe March), the only witness to a crime, who can testify at the murder trial of a master criminal Soramon (Guy Héron). The prosecution's only other witness has died of a serious illness. Without his testimony, Soramon will go free, but no-one knows where Martin is. The police only have an old address for him, Cité de la Glaciére. Léonetti and Jeanne try to find him by locating his old furniture, which he sold when he moved. In the process of their investigations, the pair discover Martin may have a young daughter, and that she took

medication A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field an ...

in the form of blue pills, a clue which may lead them to Martin. Meanwhile criminal associates of Soramon are tailing Léonetti and Jeanne, in the hope that they will discover Martin's whereabouts. The existence of a daughter is confirmed by Martin's former neighbour. After questioning residents of the area and many leads which go nowhere, Léonetti thinks that he could examine the records of

pharmacies Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links healt ...

in the area to find the daughter's pill prescription. After a long search, on the first day of Soramon's trial, they finally find the record, which leads them to Martin's doctor. Leaving the pharmacy with the address, Léonetti and Jeanne split up, but Léonetti is attacked by the gang, he fights them off but is badly beaten and left in the street. The gang steal what they believe to be the note with the doctor's address on, but Léonetti has outsmarted them and given the address to Jeanne. Jeanne nurses Léonetti back to health after his ordeal. At the doctors, they are frustrated to learn that he only has Martin's old address on record. However the doctor informs them that Martin and his daughter have an appointment at his surgery that day. Léonetti apprehends Martin leaving the surgery. Martin and his daughter are taken to a hotel under police protection, and he testifies at the trial the next day. However, after he has given his evidence, the police leave him alone and unguarded, and he is assassinated in the park by one of Saramon's gang, in view of his daughter. Jeanne tells Léonetti she is completely disillusioned with police work, for them allowing the death of Martin to happen, and doesn't think getting Soramon's conviction was worth it. When he responds bluntly to her outburst, Jeanne coldly says goodbye to Léonetti and drives away. The film ends with the quotation "...for life is a wasted blessing/ when we have not lived it/as we would have liked", misattributed to the Romanian poet

Mihai Eminescu Mihai Eminescu (; born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanian Romantic poet from Moldavia, novelist, and journalist, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active membe ...

. (In fact, the lines are from the poem /Https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decebal%20c%C4%83tre%20popor "Decebal către popor by another Romanian poet,

George Coșbuc George Coșbuc (; 20 September 1866 – 9 May 1918) was a Romanian poet, translator, teacher, and journalist, best remembered for his verses describing, praising and eulogizing rural life, its many travails but also its occasions for joy. In 19 ...

Cast

: Inspector Marceau Leonetti *

: Jeanne Dumas * Philippe March: Roger Martin *

Michel Constantin Michel Constantin (born Constantin Hokhloff, 13 July 1924 – 29 August 2003) was a French film actor. Biography Born to a Russian father and a Polish mother in Billancourt (near Paris), Constantin made his first film appearance in 1956. H ...

: Greg * Alain Mottet: Frank Lambert *

Béatrice Arnac Béatrice Arnac (23 April 1931 – 5 October 2020) was a French actress, singer, and composer. Biography The daughter of the cartoonist Marcel Arnac, Béatrice was also the niece of explorer Marie Gallaud. In 1962, she received the Grand Prize o ...

: Silvia * Gilette Barbier: l’épicière * Luc Bartholomé: Jo Raison *

Paul Crauchet Paul Crauchet (14 July 1920 – 19 December 2012) was a French actor. Biography As a young man interested in aviation and rugby, Paul Crauchet discovered a passion for the theatre at the age of 23. He settled in Paris in 1945, he studied un ...

: Jacques Loring *

Monique Mélinand Monique Mélinand (9 March 1916 – 16 May 2012) was a French film and television actress.Capua p.177 Selected filmography * ''Rouletabille joue et gagne'' (1947) * ''Rouletabille contre la dame de pique'' (1948) * '' Between Eleven and Midnigh ...

: Mme Loring * Albert Dagnant: Arnold *

Germaine Delbat Germaine may refer to: Given name * Germaine Arnaktauyok (born 1946), Inuk printmaker, painter, and drawer * Germaine Cousin (1579-1601), French saint *Germaine Greer (born 1939), feminist writer and academic * Germaine Koh (born 1967), Malaysian-b ...

: Mme Lenoir * Roger Desmare: The grocer *

Max Desrau Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) ( ...

: Thouin *

Robert Favart Marc Robert Favart (9 February 1911 – 26 July 2003) was a French actor, married to Jenny Carré, daughter of Albert Carré. Filmography Cinema * 1938: ' (by Jean de Limur) *1939: ''Angelica'' or ''La rose de sang'' (by Jean Choux) *19 ...

: The Principal * Guy Héron: Soramon

External links

* {{José Giovanni 1970s thriller films French thriller films Italian thriller films 1970s French-language films Films directed by José Giovanni Police detective films Films set in Paris Films based on American novels Films scored by François de Roubaix Films with screenplays by José Giovanni 1970s Italian films 1970s French films