''The Babes Make the Law'' (French: ''Les pépées font la loi'') is a 1955 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

Raoul André Raoul André (24 May 1916 in Rabat (Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has ...

and starring

Claudine Dupuis Claudine Dupuis (born Andrée Esther Chaloum; 1 May 1924 in Paris – 26 May 1991 in Lisieux) was a French actress. She starred as the "garrulous prostitute Manon" in Henri-Georges Clouzot's ''Quai des Orfèvres'' in 1947. Other films inclu ...

Dominique Wilms Dominique Wilms (born 8 June 1930) is a Belgian film actress. Life and career Married to actor Jean Gaven, she was widowed by him in 2014.Lentz IIII, Harris. Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2014', p. 126. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland ...

Louise Carletti Louise Carletti (27 February 1922 – 10 March 2002) was a French film actress.Kennedy-Karpat p.171 She was married to the director Raoul André. Selected filmography * '' People Who Travel'' (1938) * '' Girls in Distress'' (1939) * '' The W ...

and Michèle Philippe.Vincendeau p.154 It was shot at the

Billancourt Studios Billancourt Studios was a film studio in Paris which operated between 1922 and 1992. Located in Boulogne-Billancourt, it was one of the leading French studios.Szczepanik & Vonderau p.141 It was founded in the silent era by Henri Diamant-Berger. Dur ...

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 ...

Louis Le Barbenchon Louis Le Barbenchon (1911–1980) was a French production designer, set decorator, and art director. He designed the sets for a number of French film productions. Selected filmography * ''His Uncle from Normandy'' (1939) * '' My Aunt the Dictato ...

. It was followed by sequel '' The Babes in the Secret Service'' in 1956.

Synopsis

When Nathalie is kidnapped, her mother Flora doesn't want to get the

police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

involved. Instead she organises her three other daughters to take the law into their own hands and confront the gang behind it.

Cast

as Elvire, daughter of Flora *

as Elisabeth, other daughter of Flora *

as Christine, other daughter of Flora * Michèle Philippe as Nathalie, daughter of kidnapped Flora *

Suzy Prim Suzy Prim (11 October 1896 – 7 July 1991) was a French actress. She was born Suzanne Mariette Arduini in Paris and died in 1991 in Boulogne-Billancourt. She began her screen career as a child actress during the silent era. Selected filmo ...

as Flora, the mother *

Jean Gaven Jean Gaven (16 January 1918 – 5 May 2014) was a French actor. He appeared in more than sixty films between 1945 and 1996. Life and career Born in Saint-Rome-de-Cernon Saint-Rome-de-Cernon (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Ave ...

as Frédéric Langlet, husband of Christine *

Laurent Dauthuille Laurent Dauthuille (20 February 1924 – 10 July 1971) was a French boxer. Arriving in Montreal in the late 1940s, he was nicknamed the ''Tarzan of Buzenval.'' During his career Dauthuille beat notable fighters such as Jake LaMotta, Steve B ...

as Bob, the baby snatcher *

Louis de Funès Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza (; 31 July 1914 – 27 January 1983) was a French actor and comedian. He is France's favourite actor, according to a series of polls conducted since the late 1960s, having played over 150 roles in fi ...

as Jeannot la Bonne Affaire, barman of "Lotus" *

Jean-Jacques Delbo Jean-Jacques Delbo (10 January 1909 – 20 May 1996) was a French actor. He appeared in more than sixty films from 1936 to 1990. Filmography References External links * 1909 births 1996 deaths French male film actors {{Fr ...

as Rouge, the gangster who beats Nathalie * André Roanne as Mr Charles - "the Professor" *

René Havard René Havard (20 December 1923 – 7 December 1987) was a French film actor. He appeared in 80 films between 1946 and 1985. He was born and died in Paris, France. Selected filmography * ''That's Not the Way to Die'' (1946) – L'assistant ...

as Calamart, the wrong employee * Olivier Mathot as Robert, husband of Elizabeth * Paul Péri as Casanova, the head kidnapper * Paul Demange as vacuum bag collector * Paul Dupuis as Masson, husband of Elvire *

Jacqueline Noëlle Jacqueline may refer to: People * Jacqueline (given name), including a list of people with the name * Jacqueline Moore (born 1964), ring name "Jacqueline", American professional wrestler Arts and entertainment * ''Jacqueline'' (1923 film), ...

as the brunette in the café *

Simone Berthier Simone may refer to: People * Simone (given name), a feminine (or Italian masculine) given name of Hebrew origin * Simone (surname), an Italian surname * People known mononymously as Simone include: **Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira (born 1949), Br ...

as Hortense * Jérôme Goulven as Alphonse - le notaire * Jacques Muller as lawyer's client *

Yôko Tani was a Japanese-French actress and vedette, who had a career in both Japanese and European cinema during the 1950s and '60s. Early life Tani was born Yōko Itani (猪谷洋子) in Paris in 1928, to Japanese parents Zenichi Itani and Taeko Egi. H ...

as fleuriste du Lotus *

Don Ziegler Don Ziegler was an American film actor, living in Paris''The Saturday Evening Post'', June 4, 1960, p. 36. and active in French cinema in the 1950s and early 1960s, usually playing foreigners. Selected Filmography * ''Holiday for Henrietta'' ...

as the Scotsman

References

Bibliography

* Prime, Rebecca. ''Hollywood Exiles in Europe: The Blacklist and Cold War Film Culture''. Rutgers University Press, 2014. * Vincendeau, Ginette . ''Stars and Stardom in French Cinema''. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2000.

External links

*
''Les Pépées font la loi''
at ''Films de France'' 1955 films 1955 comedy films French comedy films 1950s French-language films French black-and-white films Films directed by Raoul André Films shot at Billancourt Studios 1950s French films {{1950s-France-comedy-film-stub