Cinema
Pépé le Moko
Julien Duvivier · 1937
Synopsis
Wanted by the French police, Pépé le Moko, a famous thief, has been living in hiding for nearly two years in the Casbah of Algiers, an overcrowded labyrinth where the police cannot enter and where the inhabitants protect him. Inspector Slimane, patient, maintains a strange familiarity with him and waits for him to come out. Then Gaby arrives, an elegant Parisian visiting the district, and Pépé falls in love with her.
Context
The film is taken from a novel by Détective Ashelbé, the pseudonym of Henri La Barthe, who took part in the screenplay. The Casbah was recreated in a studio near Paris, and only a few shots were filmed in Algiers. The role made Jean Gabin's name, opposite Mireille Balin. Hollywood made a remake of it as early as 1938, Algiers, then a second, Casbah, in 1948, and the French version was released in the United States only in the spring of 1941.
Who it is for
A feature film of an hour and a half, shot mostly in the studio; the Casbah seen in it is a reconstruction.
Prizes and reception
Remade twice in Hollywood, in 1938 and in 1948, it remains one of Jean Gabin's most famous films.
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