The Big Operator (1976 film)

Last updated

The Big Operator
The Big Operator (1976 film).jpg
Film poster
Directed by Claude Pinoteau
Written by Rennie Airth
Michel Audiard
Jean Herman
Claude Pinoteau
Starring Yves Montand
CinematographyJean Collomb
Edited byFedora Zincone
Music by Georges Delerue
Distributed by Gaumont Distribution
Release date
  • 1 December 1976 (1976-12-01)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench

The Big Operator (French : Le Grand escogriffe) is a 1976 French comedy film directed by Claude Pinoteau and starring Yves Montand. [1]

Contents

Plot

The aging villain Émile Morland talks his old friend Aristide into helping him with to kidnap the son of a millionaire. Moreover, Morland engages the young actress Amandine and borrows a child baptised Alberto from his acquaintance Tony. Morland's plan is to exchange the children and then to reveal this in order to retrieve ransom from millionaire Rifai. But to everybody's surprise Rifai prefers Alberto to his moody and wearisome own son. He refuses to pay ransom because he is now happy as it is.

Cast

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yves Montand</span> French-Italian actor and singer (1921–1991)

Ivo Livi, better known as Yves Montand, was an Italian-born French actor and singer. He is said to be one of France's greatest 20th-century artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint-Paul-de-Vence</span> Commune in Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur, France

Saint-Paul-de-Vence is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. One of the oldest medieval towns on the French Riviera, Saint-Paul-de-Vence is well known for its modern and contemporary art museums and galleries such as the Fondation Maeght, and for the 17th-century Saint Charles-Saint Claude chapel, which in 2012–2013 was decorated with murals by French artist Paul Conte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claude Sautet</span> French film director and screenwriter

Claude Sautet was a French film director and screenwriter.

"C'est si bon" is a French popular song composed in 1947 by Henri Betti with the lyrics by André Hornez. The English lyrics were written in 1949 by Jerry Seelen. The song has been adapted in several languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alain Corneau</span> French film director and writer (1943–2010)

Alain Corneau was a French film director and writer.

<i>Is Paris Burning?</i> (film) 1966 war film by René Clément

Is Paris Burning? is a 1966 black-and-white epic war film about the liberation of Paris in August 1944 by the French Resistance and the Free French Forces during World War II. A French-American co-production, it was directed by French filmmaker René Clément, with a screenplay by Gore Vidal, Francis Ford Coppola, Jean Aurenche, Pierre Bost and Claude Brulé, adapted from the 1965 book of the same title by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre. The film stars an international ensemble cast that includes French, American and German stars.

<i>Lets Make Love</i> 1960 film by George Cukor

Let's Make Love is a 1960 American musical comedy film made by 20th Century Fox in DeLuxe Color and CinemaScope. Directed by George Cukor and produced by Jerry Wald from a screenplay by Norman Krasna, Hal Kanter, and Arthur Miller, the film stars Marilyn Monroe, Yves Montand, and Tony Randall. It would be Monroe's last musical film performance.

<i>Lovers Like Us</i> 1975 film by Jean-Paul Rappeneau

Lovers Like Us is a 1975 adventure romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau, starring Yves Montand and Catherine Deneuve. The film was a commercial success with a total of 2,373,738 admissions in France and was the 12th highest-grossing film of the year.

<i>State of Siege</i> 1972 film

State of Siege is a 1972 French–Italian–West German political thriller film directed by Costa-Gavras starring Yves Montand and Renato Salvatori. The story is based on an actual incident in 1970, when U.S. official Dan Mitrione was kidnapped and later killed by an urban guerrilla group in Uruguay.

If All the Guys in the World is a 1956 French adventure film directed by Christian-Jaque and starring André Valmy, Jean Gaven, Marc Cassot, Georges Poujouly, Doudou Babet.

<i>Waiter!</i> 1983 French film

Waiter! is a 1983 French film directed by Claude Sautet and starring Yves Montand, Nicole Garcia, Jacques Villeret, Marie Dubois, Dominique Laffin, and Bernard Fresson. It received 4 César nominations, for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor (twice) and Best Sound.

<i>Live for Life</i> 1967 French film

Live for Life is a 1967 French film directed by Claude Lelouch starring Yves Montand, Candice Bergen and Annie Girardot. The film won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film had a total of 2,936,035 admissions in France and was the 7th highest-grossing film of the year.

<i>The War Is Over</i> (1966 film) 1966 French film

The War Is Over is a 1966 French war drama film about a leftist in Franco's Spain, directed by Alain Resnais and starring Yves Montand, Ingrid Thulin and Geneviève Bujold. Joseph Losey directed a sequel, Roads to the South. In July 2021, the film was shown in the Cannes Classics section at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>César and Rosalie</i> 1972 French film

César and Rosalie is a 1972 romance film starring Yves Montand and Romy Schneider, directed by Claude Sautet.

<i>The Sleeping Car Murders</i> 1965 French film

The Sleeping Car Murders is a 1965 French mystery film directed by Costa-Gavras from the novel by Sébastien Japrisot. It stars Yves Montand, Simone Signoret, Michel Piccoli, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Catherine Allégret, Jacques Perrin, Charles Denner and Pascale Roberts. The film was the directorial debut of Costa-Gavras, to be followed later by other, more politically-oriented work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claude Pinoteau</span> French film director and scriptwriter

Claude Pinoteau was a French film director and scriptwriter. Born in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts de Seine, Île-de-France, France. He died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, aged 87. His sister was the actress Arlette Merry, and his brother was the director Jacques Pinoteau.

<i>Marguerite de la nuit</i> 1955 Italy / France film

Marguerite de la nuit is a 1955 French language motion picture fantasy drama directed by Claude Autant-Lara, and written by Ghislaine Autant-Lara and Gabriel Arout (adaptation), based on novel by Pierre Dumarchais. The film stars Michèle Morgan and Yves Montand.

<i>A Secret</i> French film

A Secret is a 2007 French film directed and written by Claude Miller. The screenplay was based on the 2004 novel by Philippe Grimbert.

<i>Vincent, François, Paul and the Others</i> 1974 French film

Vincent, François, Paul and the Others is a 1974 French film directed by Claude Sautet based on the novel La grande Marrade by Claude Néron.

Three Seats for the 26th is a 1988 French romantic musical film, written and directed by Jacques Demy to music by Michel Legrand. Set in Marseille, it shows the singer and actor Yves Montand returning to the city where he grew up and looking up old friends, including his first love Mylène, who had been a prostitute and is now the wife of a jailed baron. The purpose of his visit is to rehearse a stage musical based on his life, where he falls in love with the female lead named Marion, the daughter Mylène had after they parted. It was Demy's last picture.

References

  1. Clarke Fountain (2011). "New York Times: The Big Operator". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2008.