''Popsy Pop'' (released in Italy as ''Fuori il Maloppo'' and internationally as ''The Butterfly Affair'') is a 1971 Italian crime film produced by
Sofracima. It stars
Claudia Cardinale
Claude Joséphine Rose "Claudia" Cardinale (; born 15 April 1938) is an Italian actress. She has starred in some of the most iconic European films of the 1960s and 1970s, acting in Italian, French, and English.
Born and raised in La Goulette, a ...
,
Stanley Baker
Sir William Stanley Baker (28 February 192828 June 1976) was a Welsh actor and film producer. Known for his rugged appearance and intense, grounded screen persona, he was one of the top British male film stars of the late 1950s, and later a pro ...
and
Henri Charrière
Henri Charrière (; 16 November 1906 – 29 July 1973) was a French writer, convicted in 1931 as a murderer by the French courts and pardoned in 1970. He wrote the novel '' Papillon'', a memoir of his incarceration in and escape from a pena ...
, the real-life ''
Papillon''.
Plot
The
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
n hamlet Vista Alegra lives from recuperating diamonds from the muddy soil. Inspector Silva, a former
private eye
''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satire, satirical and current affairs (news format), current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely r ...
, has been put there as surveyor by the international diamond company to whom the locals sell their finds.
One day, French singer Popsy Pop travelling with a giant edition of ''
Alice in Wonderland
''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...
'' and a doll called "Alice", arrives on the monthly boat accompanied by a small group of gangsters led by the elderly Marcou, who, with Popsy's aid, plan to steal the diamonds worth 2 million dollars, using the celebrations on the Venezuelan
Independence day
An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
as cover.
As planned, Silva starts courting and falling for Popsy - she calls him her
King of Hearts
The king of hearts is a playing card in the standard 52-card deck.
King of Hearts may also refer to:
Games
* The King of Hearts Has Five Sons, card game that may have been a precursor to Cluedo
Books
* King of Hearts (Alice's Adventures in W ...
- and at her request gives up guarding the diamonds that evening to listen to her performing the song ''Popsy Pop'' on the local stage. When the theft down goes as planned, Popsy alone escapes with the diamond by helicopter to
Caracas
Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...
, leaving her three accomplices behind, who are caught and prepared to be lynched by the angried local mob. After watching the mob leader kill Marcou's two accomplices, Silva convinces him to spare Marcou himself so he can help him in his search for Popsy and the diamonds. Silva and Marcou strike a deal: Marcou is to get Popsy, whom he loves, and 15 percent of the loot.
Popsy and her friend Freddy use false passports to board a flight to
Santo Domingo
, total_type = Total
, population_density_km2 = auto
, timezone = AST (UTC −4)
, area_code_type = Area codes
, area_code = 809, 829, 849
, postal_code_type = Postal codes
, postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional)
, websi ...
where they are followed by Silva and Marcou. Popsy at first puts the diamonds in a safe deposit box and then meets Father Legba in
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
, who runs a commercial operation with a big group of religious followers. In the meantime, Silva and Marcou locate Freddy and through him find out about Popsy's whereabouts, following her to Haiti. When Popsy tells Legba that she has the diamonds, he does not believe her at first and whips her until she submits to him, promising to give them to him if he keeps her safe from Marcou. During a local rite including the beheading of a lamb and ecstatic drum music, Popsy, involved against her will, is dangerously caught up in wild harassing dancing and saved by Silva. Marcou has Legba at gunpoint, and when Legba tells him that it was Popsy, not him, who tried to screw him over and that she was only a whore, Marcou shoots him, telling him he should not have said that. Popsy at first does not want to tell Silva where the diamonds are, but after he puts her through a forced barefoot walk towards the escape boat, she tells him about the safe storage in a Santo Domingo bank.
She also tells Silva that she loves him, kissing him. Marcou comes, sees the kiss, and starts a fight with Silva. In the end, Silva offers her to him but Popsy says she hates him and that he is too old. Silva says Marcou to go ahead and strangle Popsy with his bare hands if he can (a thing they talked about earlier at a bar), but warns him that he will not find it easy, then walks away. Marcou indeed puts his hands around Popsy's throat but cannot bring himself to squeeze. He gently strokes her hair instead. Popsy looks at him with wide eyes of recognition and wonderment.
Cast
*
Claudia Cardinale
Claude Joséphine Rose "Claudia" Cardinale (; born 15 April 1938) is an Italian actress. She has starred in some of the most iconic European films of the 1960s and 1970s, acting in Italian, French, and English.
Born and raised in La Goulette, a ...
- Popsy Pop
*
Stanley Baker
Sir William Stanley Baker (28 February 192828 June 1976) was a Welsh actor and film producer. Known for his rugged appearance and intense, grounded screen persona, he was one of the top British male film stars of the late 1950s, and later a pro ...
- Silva
*
Henri Charrière
Henri Charrière (; 16 November 1906 – 29 July 1973) was a French writer, convicted in 1931 as a murderer by the French courts and pardoned in 1970. He wrote the novel '' Papillon'', a memoir of his incarceration in and escape from a pena ...
- Marcou
*
Marc Mazza - Tormenta
*
Georges Aminel
Georges Aminel (1922–2007) was a French stage, film and television actor.Biggs p.221 His father was from Martinique.
Selected filmography
* ''Dangerous Turning'' (1954)
* ''Love in Jamaica'' (1957)
* '' Illegal Cargo'' (1958)
* '' Action Man'' ...
- Father Legba
*
Ginette Leclerc
Ginette Leclerc (born Geneviève Lucie Menut; February 9, 1912 – January 2, 1992) was a French film actress. She appeared in nearly 90 films between 1932 and 1978. Her last TV appearance was in 1981. She was born in Ile-de-France, France ...
- Mrs. Irma
*
Joachim Hansen - Freddy
*
Leroy Haynes Leroy Haynes (1914–1986) was an expat American restaurateur and actor who resided in Paris, France. As an actor, he appeared in ''The Butterfly Affair'', ''Bons Baisers de Hong Kong'', and ''Ace High''. His restaurant, Chez Haynes was a well known ...
- Blanchette
*
Moune de Rivel (fr) - Sister Marie-Galante
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butterfly Affair, The
1971 films
1971 crime drama films
1970s heist films
Italian crime drama films
French crime drama films
Italian heist films
French heist films
1970s Italian-language films
Golan-Globus films
1970s Italian films
1970s French films