Le cave se rebiffe [The Counterfeiters] [The Counterfeiters of Paris] **** (1961, Jean Gabin, Bernard Blier, Martine Carol, Franck Villard, Maurice Biraud, Françoise Rosay) – Classic Movie Review 14,022

Jean Gabin stars in director Gilles Grangier’s excellent, richly entertaining 1961 French crime comedy thriller Le cave se rebiffe, the middle instalment in the Max le Menteur trilogy.

Directed by Gilles Grangier, Le cave se rebiffe, starring Jean Gabin, Bernard Blier, Martine Carol, Françoise Rosay, Franck Villard, Maurice Biraud and Ginette Leclerc, is the second in the Max le Menteur trilogy, following Touchez Pas au Grisbi and preceding Les Tontons Flingueurs.

Jean Gabin stars in director Gilles Grangier’s excellent, richly entertaining 1961 French crime comedy thriller Le cave se rebiffe, the middle instalment in the Max le Menteur trilogy, preceded by the 1954 gangster classic Touchez Pas au Grisbi, also with Jean Gabin, and followed by Les Tontons Flingueurs. The film trilogy is an adaptation of three novels by Albert Simonin, though they are independent adaptations and do not have the same trilogy character of the novels. Le cave se rebiffe is treated more from the angle of a comedy than Touchez Pas au Grisbi, but not too much, it is a nicely cynical light comedy spin.

Jean Gabin stars as the canny old Ferdinand Maréchal, alias ‘Le Dabe’ (‘The Boss’ or ‘The Master’), who was the king of all money counterfeiters but has retired rich many years ago and now lives in the Tropics, where he owns stables and horses, and an extremely large and flashy car. Gabin makes his entrance after a first 20 minutes that is mainly about Bernard Blier’s amusing turn as Charles Lepicard, the Paris married owner of a 17-bedroom brothel, now closed down by the authorities, who is fussing over the lovely Martine Carol who has just entered and lit up his life.

Lepicard and his notary/ money launderer friend Lucas Malvoisin (Antoine Balpêtré), are approached by Éric Masson (Franck Villard), a pretentious younger gangster in debt to them, with a plan to make counterfeit money. Masson considers it is easy because he is the lover of Solange Mideau (Martine Carol), the wife of outstanding engraver Robert Mideau (Maurice Biraud), who is considered ‘Le Cave’ (‘The Dupe’ or ‘The Cellar’).

At first Gabin refuses when Blier arrives from Paris to ask him to organise this risky new job, but he accepts as soon as he finds out that the currency to be counterfeited is the Dutch florin. He retired defeated after having counterfeited 100 florin notes just before the Queen Wilhelmina retired them from circulation. He flies to Paris to meet the gang and mastermind the job, but of course the gang is not to be trusted.

Once Gabin enters the film he more or less completely takes over. It is a showcase for him. He purrs like a contented old pussycat. It is a beguiling performance. He does little and makes that a lot. A few grimaces, a few hand gestures, talk about easy money! Cats don’t do that much either, and they are equally appealing. The bald, plump Blier is good value, also Ginette Leclerc as his brittle wife Léa and legendary Françoise Rosay (all too briefly) as Gabin’s old crime chum Mme Pauline, who provides him with alcohol, nostalgia, news of dead people and the paper to print the banknotes. Martine Carol has a showy but unforgiving role as the flirtatious Solange and so does Franck Villard as her dim and greedy lover.

The highly improbable plot (such a tall story!) is hugely satisfying, with intricately complicated developments and a tasty payoff. The admirable screenplay is playful and witty. Gilles Grangier handles the material and actors with smooth practised style. The exterior filming is more welcome than some of the studio work, but that was the era. The film is highly agreeable, really quite entrancing.

Director Georges Lautner’s 1963 French crime comedy film Les Tontons Flingueurs [Crooks in Clover] is the final instalment in the Max le Menteur trilogy, preceded by the 1954 gangster classic Touchez Pas au Grisbi with Jean Gabin and the excellent 1961 crime thriller Le cave se rebiffe, also with Jean Gabin. The film trilogy is an adaptation of three novels by Albert Simonin.

Duration: 98 minutes.

Release date: September 27, 1961 (France).

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 14,022

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com