The Adventures of Arsène Lupin [Les Aventures d’Arsène Lupin] **** (1957, Robert Lamoureux, Liselotte Pulver, O E Hasse) – Classic Movie Review 8675

Director Jacques Becker’s entertaining, polished and memorable 1957 French Technicolor crime mystery film The Adventures of Arsène Lupin [Les Aventures d’Arsène Lupin] stars Robert Lamoureux as the stylish gentleman crook (gentleman-cambrioleur) Arsène Lupin going about his thieving business in Paris just before the First World War.

Arsène Lupin steals two masterworks from Emile Duchamp (Henri Rollan), the President of the Council. Then, masquerading as winegrower Monsieur Gilles, he invites jewellers to come to his mansion and steals their gems. Next, posing as André Laroche, he targets a Maharajah and the Kaiser, Wilhelm II (O E Hasse). Meanwhile, he romances an intriguing, gorgeous baroness, Mina von Kraft (Liselotte Pulver), but ends up getting abducted by the Kaiser.

Director Becker relishes the material, based on stories in the novels by Maurice Leblanc, and his main successes are with the 1910s French atmosphere, achieving a fast pace and in encouraging such an attractive star performance.

The Adventures of Arsène Lupin [Les Aventures d’Arsène Lupin] is directed by Jacques Becker, runs 103 minutes, is made by Cinéphonic, Chavane, Société Nouvelle des Établissements Gaumont (SNEG) [SNE Gaumont], Lambor Films and Films Costellazione, is released by Gaumont (1956) (France) and RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (US), is written by Jacques Becker and Albert Simonin, based on stories in the novel by Maurice Leblanc, is shot in Technicolor by Edmond Séchan, is produced by Robert Sussfeld, is scored by Jean-Jacques Grünewald and is designed by Rino Mondellini

The cover of the book Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Cambrioleur (1907).

Also in the cast are Henri Rollan as Le Président du Conseil Emile Duchamp, Daniel Ceccaldi as Jacques Gauthier, Georges Chamarat as Inspecteur Dufour, Huguette Hue as Léontine Chanu, Renaud Mary as Paul Desfontaines, Sandra Milo as Mathilde Duchamp, Paul Muller as Rudolf von Kraft, Margaret Rung as The English woman, Charles Bouillaud  as Otto, Hubert de Lapparent as jewellery salesman, Pierre Stéphen as Clérissy and Jacques Becker as the Crown Prince [The Kronprinz].

Lamoureux returns for writer-director Yves Robert’s 1959 French-Italian crime film sequel Signé Arsène Lupin [Il ritorno di Arsenio Lupin] [Signed, Arsene Lupin].

Arsène Lupin films include Arsène Lupin contra Sherlock Holmes (1910), Arsène Lupin (1916), The Teeth of the Tiger (1919), 813 (1920), Arsène Lupin (1932) with John Barrymore, Arsene Lupin, Detective (1937), Arsène Lupin Returns (1938) with Melvyn Douglas, Enter Arsène Lupin (1944)  with Charles Korvin, The Adventures of Arsène Lupin (1957), Signé Arsène Lupin (1959) and Arsène Lupin (2004).

Maurice Leblanc’s French aristocrat gentleman thief Arsène Lupin, is witty, charming, brilliant and sly, a master of disguises and languages, and perhaps the world’s greatest thief. Lupin featured in 17 novels and 39 novellas by Leblanc. His first story, The Arrest of Arsène Lupin, was published on 15 July 1905.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8675

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

Les Aventures d’Arsène Lupin theatrical release poster.

Maurice Leblanc (1864–1941), the creator of Arsène Lupin.

Arsène Lupin Contre Herlock Sholmes.