''This Man Is Dangerous'' (French: ''Cet homme est dangereux'') is a 1953 French

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

directed by

Jean Sacha Jean Sacha (1912–1988) was a French film editor, screenwriter and director. He worked as a poster artist before moving into the film industry.Rège p.901 Selected filmography * ''The Novel of Werther'' (1938) * ''There's No Tomorrow'' (1939) * ...

and starring

Eddie Constantine Eddie Constantine (born Edward Israël Constantinowsky; October 29, 1917 – February 25, 1993) was an American singer, actor and entertainer who spent most of his career in France. He became well-known to film audiences for his portrayal of se ...

Colette Deréal Colette Deréal (; born Colette Denise de Glarélial; 22 September 1927 – 12 April 1988) was a French actress and singer. Eurovision Song Contest 1961 Deréal was born in Saint-Cyr-l'École, Seine-et-Oise (now Yvelines), France. In 1961, D ...

and

Grégoire Aslan Grégoire Aslan (born Krikor Kaloust Aslanian; 28 March 1908 – 8 January 1982) was a Swiss-Armenian actor and musician. Early life Krikor Kaloust Aslanian ( hy, Գրիգոր Գալուստի Ասլանյան) was born in Switzerland or in Cons ...

. It is an adaptation of

Peter Cheyney Reginald Evelyn Peter Southouse-Cheyney (22 February 1896 – 26 June 1951) was a British crime fiction writer who flourished between 1936 and 1951. Cheyney is perhaps best known for his short stories and novels about agent/detective Lemmy Ca ...

's 1936 novel ''

This Man Is Dangerous ''This Man Is Dangerous'' (U.S. title: ''The Patient Vanishes'') is a 1941 British thriller film, directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring James Mason and Gordon McLeod. The film is based on the 1934 novel ''They Called Him Death'' by Da ...

''.Goble p.82 It followed the film ''

La môme vert-de-gris ''La môme vert-de-gris'' ( French for "The Greyish-Green Dame"), released in the USA as ''Poison Ivy'', is a 1953 French crime film. It was French director Bernard Borderie's first film, as well as American-born French actor Eddie Constantine's ...

'' which had been Eddie Constantine's debut as

Lemmy Caution Lemmy Caution is a fictional character created by British writer Peter Cheyney (1896–1951). Caution was first portrayed as a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent, and in later stories as a private detective. Cheyney's first book with the ...

and it was also successful at the box office. The film's sets were designed by the

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

Jean d'Eaubonne Jean d'Eaubonne (March 8, 1903 – July 30, 1971) was a French art director. He received an Oscar nomination in 1951 for his work on Max Ophüls's ''La Ronde''. Selected filmography * '' The Polish Jew'' (1931) * '' Love and Luck'' (1932) * '' M ...

Synopsis

Lemmy Caution is assigned to neutralise the international crimininal network of villain Siégella (

) as an undercover agent. In order to infiltrate the gang he pretends to be an escapee. During his covert investigations at the

French Riviera The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend fro ...

he gets to know a beauty named Constance (

) who is associated with Mister Siégella. Lemmy can convince him that he would help to kidnap the rich American heiress Miranda Van Zelden (Claude Borelli). Once Lemmy has obtained enough proof to have Siégella convicted, he informs

Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...

. After he has sent documents to Interpol, his cover is blown and he has to fight for his life.

Cast

as Lemmy Caution *

as Constance *

as Siegella *

Claude Borelli Claude Borelli (1934–1960) was a French film actress. During the 1950s she performed in a number of films including the 1955 German film '' Hello, My Name is Cox'' in which she co-starred with Johannes Heesters.Goble p.32 She died in an accident ...

as Miranda Van Zelden *

Véra Norman Marguerite Trediakowski (28 December 1924 – 19 May 2023), better known as Véra Norman, was a French film actress. Norman died in Saint-Arnoult, Calvados on 19 May 2023, at the age of 98. Selected filmography * ''The Sea Rose'' (1946) * ''The ...

as Susanne *

Jacqueline Pierreux Jacqueline Pierreux (15 January 1923 – 10 March 2005) was a French film and television actress.Philip Mosley p.105 From the early 1970s onwards she also enjoyed success as a producer. She was the wife of screenwriter Pierre Léaud and the mothe ...

as Dora *

Roland Bailly Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Franks, Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known ...

as Johny * Guy Decomble as Jacques le Dingue *

Luc Andrieux Luc Andrieux (1917–1977) was a French actor and assistant director. Partial filmography * ''The Queen's Necklace'' (1946) - Un geôlier (uncredited) * ''Le Bataillon du ciel'' (1947) * ''Les aventures des pieds nickeles'' (1948) - Hector * ' ...

as Maurice *

Henry Djanik Henry Djanik (1926–2008) was a French actor. Filmography *''Manina, the Girl in the Bikini ''Manina, la fille sans voiles'', (released in the US as '' Manina, the Girl in the Bikini'' and in the UK as ''Manina, the Lighthouse Keeper's Dau ...

as William Bosco *

Émile Genevois Émile Genevois (1 January 1918 – 19 September 1962) was a French film actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in mode ...

as L'athlète *

Colette Mareuil Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known Mononymous person, mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a Mime artist, mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the ...

as L'entraîneuse *

Michel Nastorg Michel Nastorg (1914–1984) was a French actor. During World War II he was called into the French army as Soldier Second Class. With the Seventh Army he retreated from Belgium before a fierce German onslaught, and found himself at Dunkirk in J ...

as Govas * Michel Seldow as Pierrot les Cartes

References

Bibliography

* Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999.

External links

* *
Cet homme est dangereux - French Gallery
1953 films 1950s French-language films Films based on British novels French black-and-white films Films directed by Jean Sacha French thriller films 1950s thriller films 1950s French films {{1950s-France-film-stub