''The Upper Hand'' (''Du rififi à Paname'') is a 1966 French thriller film about gold smuggling based on the novel by Auguste Le Breton and starring Jean Gabin,

George Raft George Raft (born George Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is ...

and

Gert Fröbe Karl Gerhart "Gert" Fröbe (; 25 February 1913 – 5 September 1988) was a German actor. He was best known in English-speaking countries for his work as Auric Goldfinger in the James Bond film '' Goldfinger'', as Peachum in ''The Threepenny Oper ...

Plot

Paul Berger, known as Paulo les diams, is a smuggler who works with his old friend Walter, an antique dealer married to Irene. Paulo recruits his smugglers from a nightclub with the help of his employees Rene and Lili. They recruit a man called Mike Coppolano to smuggle, not knowing he is an American secret agent who has gone undercover. Mike is hired as Paulo's bodyguard after saving Paulo's life in a shoot out. Gangster Giulio kidnaps Irene, and Mike shoots Giulio. Walter is killed and Paulo swears to avenge him. Mafia gangster Binnagio insists Paulo and Mario get along. Mike steals a notebook in which Walter wrote down the flow chart of the arms trade. Paulo sets off a bomb in the middle of a meeting with the mafia. Paulo and the survivors of the bomb are arrested.

Cast

* Jean Gabin ... Paul Berger *

... Walter *

... Charles Binnaggio *

Nadja Tiller Nadja Tiller (born 16 March 1929 in Vienna, Austria) is an Austrian actress. She was one of the most popular German-speaking actresses of international films of the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Nadja Tiller, daughter of actor Anton Tiller of Vie ...

... Irène * Claudio Brook ... Mike Coppolano * Mireille Darc ... Lili Princesse * Marcel Bozzuffi ... Marque Mal * Claude Brasseur ... Giulio * Daniel Ceccaldi ... Commissaire Noël

Production

Producer Maurice Jaquin made the film following the success of '' Tonnerre de Dieu''. It as heavily influenced by the current popularity of James Bond and oSS 117 films. The actual star of the movie was Claudio Brook, a Mexican actor who had worked with Luis Buñuel. The filmmakers hoped for an international audience and cast several non French actors including Gert Froebe and George Raft.

Reception

The ''New York Times'' called it "meandering, stilted and extremely flat melodrama" which "spurts to life towards the end" when Gabin meets George Raft and "the two men lock eyeballs like two king cobras" with "a chilling authenticity".Screen: 'Luv,' Broadway Hit, Begins New Film Life: 3 Other Offerings on View Around City Comedy Is Presented at Coronet and De Mille By BOSLEY CROWTHER. New York Times ]27 July 1967: 29. The film was a moderate success at the French box office.

The Belgrade terrorist attack

On July 13, 1968, during the projection of ''The Upper Hand'' in the "20. oktobar" cinema in

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

, Yugoslavia, a bomb was detonated, killing one person and injuring 89. Croatian

Miljenko Hrkać Miljenko Hrkać (2 October 1947 – 11 January 1978) was a Croatian terrorist sentenced to death by a Yugoslav court which accused him of bombing the Belgrade cinema "20. oktobar" on 13 July 1968, which left one person dead and 89 others maimed or i ...

has been convicted of the attack and sentenced to death.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Upper Hand 1966 films 1960s crime thriller films French crime thriller films French gangster films Films about organized crime in France Films based on works by Auguste Le Breton Films directed by Denys de La Patellière 1960s French films