''Le Guignolo'' is a 1980 French-Italian comedy film directed by

Georges Lautner Georges Lautner (; 24 January 1926 – 22 November 2013) was a French film director and screenwriter, known primarily for his comedies created in collaboration with screenwriter Michel Audiard. Lautner's ventures into other genres were less ...

. The title is Italian prison slang for a "third-rate crook."

Plot

The swindler Alexander Dupre (

Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward, frequently portraying police officer ...

) is released from prison ahead of schedule for good behavior, and immediately rushes to make up for lost time during his incarceration. Posing as an Indian prince, he goes on a cruise ship with the jet set, during which he meets with dazzling beauty Pamela George Eagleton ( Mirella D'Angelo), a rich lady, the wife of a diamond mines owner, who has ended up in a difficult financial situation. As an honorable man the "Prince" could not refuse to offer his assistance to the lady in need and agrees to buy her diamonds. After paying in fake bills, Alexander prepares to remove the stones from the frame and discovers that they are also fakes. "Pamela" turns out to be Sophie - a fraud, exactly like himself. The couple leaves together from the ship. The next victim of their collaboration was to become the Duke of Helmuth von Nassau (

Pierre Vernier Pierre Vernier (; 19 August 1580 at Ornans, Franche-Comté (at that time ruled by the Spanish Habsburgs, now part of France) – 14 September 1637, same location) was a mathematician and instrument inventor. He was the inventor and eponym o ...

). Sophie was supposed to seduce him, and then Alexander who was to be introduced as her brother, was going to fake a suicide attempt for the reason of bankruptcy. The Duke would simply have to provide financial support for the brother of his beloved. But unexpectedly to Sophie, the Duke proposes to her and writes a check for 500,000, and the criminal plan immediately flies out of her head, and the unfortunate "suicide trier" almost loses his life. Seizing the check from Sophie and wishing all the best for the future spouses, Alexander sends out to implement a different plan. His way is to Venice. In the plane one of the passengers requests him to carry his bag, given to him by his mistress through customs to avoid explanations to his wife. Alexander agrees to do this favor to him, but upon his arrival witnesses a murder of the owner of the suitcase. It came to light that the victim was a brilliant physicist and mathematician who has developed a new kind of fuel that can replace oil, which has naturally angered the Arab oil tycoons. After unsuccessful attempts to buy the invention, they decided to get rid of the inventor. But the microfilm with the description of the secret technology was in the suitcase given to Alexander unbeknownst to him. The hunt begins for him, and he unsuspectingly under the name of viscount de Valombreza goes to the hotel where he has an appointment with the Japanese, where he intends to sell a fake painting by

Canaletto Giovanni Antonio Canal (18 October 1697 – 19 April 1768), commonly known as Canaletto (), was an Italian painter from the Republic of Venice, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school. Painter of cityscapes or ...

Cast

: Alexandre Dupré * Georges Géret: Joseph * Michel Galabru: Achille Sureau * : Gina * Von Gretchen Shepard: Caroline, agent X-22 * Mirella D'Angelo: Sophie / Pamela *

: Helmut Von Nassau *

Paolo Bonacelli Paolo Bonacelli (born 28 February 1937) is an Italian stage and film actor. Bonacelli graduated from the National Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome. After debuting on stage in Vittorio Gassman's ''Questa sera si recita a soggetto'', he had his fi ...

: Kamal * Michel Beaune: Louis Fréchet * Tony Kendall : Frantz * : French tourist * Henri Guybet: Machavoine, "the plumber" *

Lily Fayol Lily Fayol (12 June 1914, Allevard, Isère – 15 May 1999, Saint-Raphaël, Var) was a French singer. The artistic career of Lily Fayol began shortly before World War II. Acquainted with talent manager Johnny Stark she had a series of hits from ...

: Mrs. Schwarz, the rich American on the cruise ship * Philippe Castelli: Doorman * Charles Gérard: Abdel Fahrad * Anne Goddet: Irène * : Ministro * : Jailkeeper, chef *

Renzo Marignano Renzo Marignano (26 March 1923 – 25 November 1987), sometimes credited as Renzo Marignani, was an Italian actor and film director. Born in Genoa, after World War II Marignano was one of the founders of ''Cimofilm'', a production company specia ...

: Jeweler * Vincenzo Guarini: Police commissioner * Aldo Rendine: Urbino Alfonsi * : Hussein * Dona Leigh Kessler: Blonde * Daniel Breton: Yasser * Luong Ham Chau: Ohsawah * Thang-Long: Taramushi * : Coughing servant * : Prison Director

Reception

The film grossed $8 million in its first three weeks of release in France.

References

External links

* *
''Le Guignolo''
at Le Film Guide {{DEFAULTSORT:Guignolo, Le Films directed by Georges Lautner 1980s French-language films 1980s crime comedy films French crime comedy films Italian crime comedy films 1980 films Films with screenplays by Michel Audiard Films scored by Philippe Sarde 1980 comedy films 1980s Italian films 1980s French films French-language Italian films French-language crime comedy films