''Lovers and Thieves'' (French: ''Amants et voleurs'') is a 1935 French

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by Raymond Bernard and starring

Arletty Léonie Marie Julie Bathiat (15 May 1898 – 23 July 1992), known professionally as Arletty, was a French actress, singer, and fashion model. As an actress she is particularly known for classics directed by Marcel Carné, including '' Hotel du ...

Michel Simon Michel Simon (; 9 April 1895 – 30 May 1975) was a Swiss actor of German origin active primarily in France. Pierre Blanchar Pierre Blanchar (; 30 June 1892 – 21 November 1963) was a French actor. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1922 and 1961. Blanchar was married to actress Marthe Vinot, with whom he had a daughter, actress Dominique Blanchar. He pl ...

. Bessy & Chirat p.92 It is based on the 1910 play ''Le Costaud des Épinettes'' by Alfred Athis and

Tristan Bernard Tristan Bernard (7 September 1866 – 7 December 1947) was a French playwright, novelist, journalist and lawyer. Life He studied law, and after his military service, he started his career as the manager of an aluminium smelter. In the 1890s, ...

, which had previously been adapted into a 1923 silent film. It was shot at the

Joinville Studios The Joinville Studios were a film studio in Paris which operated between 1910 and 1987. They were one of the leading French studios, with major companies such as Pathé and Gaumont Film Company, Gaumont making films there. A second studio was a ...

of Pathé-Natan in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Jean Perrier Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jean ...

Synopsis

Claude Brezin, a man from a respectable family is now down-and-out in

. He is put in touch with Doizeau a man, for reasons of his own, wants someone to kill the

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

performer Irma Lurette. Desperate, Brezin takes on the assignment in exchange for twenty thousand

francs The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' ( King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th centur ...

. However instead of killing Irma he falls in love with her, and the two conspire together to swindle Doizeau out of his fee.

Cast

as Agathe *

Michel Simon Michel Simon (; 9 April 1895 – 30 May 1975) was a Swiss actor of German origin active primarily in France. Florelle as Irma Lurette *

Pierre Blanchar Pierre Blanchar (; 30 June 1892 – 21 November 1963) was a French actor. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1922 and 1961. Blanchar was married to actress Marthe Vinot, with whom he had a daughter, actress Dominique Blanchar. He pl ...

as Claude Brezin *

Milly Mathis Milly Mathis (8 September 1901 – 30 March 1965) was a French actress who appeared in more than 100 films during her career. Born on 8 September 1901 as Emilienne Pauline Tomasini in Marseilles, France, she made her film debut with a small, uncr ...

as La femme de chambre * Maximilienne as Mme Doizeau *

Jean Wall Jean Wall (31 December 1900 – 24 October 1959) was a French stage actor, stage and film actor.Goble p. 306 He also directed two films. Partial filmography * ''La vagabonde'' (1932) – Le peintre Adolphe Taillandy * ''Chair ardente'' (1932) � ...

as Gabriel *

Jean Joffre Jean Joffre (1872–1944) often styled simply as Joffre was a French film actor, film and stage actor.Crisp p.192 A character actor he played a variety of supporting roles in theatre and the cinema during his career. His final screen appearance wa ...

as Le père Tabac *

Raymond Aimos Raymond Aimos (4 February 1889 – 22 August 1944) was a French film actor.Capua p.127 He was shot and killed as a FFI combatant during the liberation of Paris. Selected filmography * '' Accused, Stand Up!'' (1930) * ''Under the Roofs of Paris'' ...

as Un clochard *

Abel Jacquin Abel Jacquin (1893–1968) was a French actor who appeared in more than thirty films between 1930 and 1956. Jacquin co-directed the 1933 comedy film '' Les deux 'Monsieur' de Madame''. He was also noted for his narration of the 1933 documentary '' ...

as Le baron de Rouget *

Paul Azaïs Paul François Robert Azaïs (6 May 1902 – 17 November 1974) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1929 and 1966. Selected filmography * '' The Three Masks'' (1929) - Le fils Vescotelli * ''Le défenseur'' ( ...

as Valtier

References

Bibliography

* Bessy, Maurice & Chirat, Raymond. ''Histoire du cinéma français: 1935-1939''. Pygmalion, 1986. * Crisp, Colin. ''French Cinema—A Critical Filmography: Volume 1, 1929-1939''. Indiana University Press, 2015. * Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999. * Rège, Philippe. ''Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Volume 1''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1935 films French comedy films 1935 comedy films 1930s French-language films Films directed by Raymond Bernard French black-and-white films 1930s French films Films shot at Joinville Studios Films set in Paris French films based on plays Sound film remakes of silent films Films scored by Jean Lenoir Films based on works by Tristan Bernard {{1930s-France-film-stub