Arsène Lupin (1971-1974), starring Georges Descrières, is one of the most popular series in the History of French television. In August Koba Films released a four-disc DVD box set of its second and final season.
« Quand un mystère nous échappe feignons d'en être l'organisateur.
- Ça c'est du Lupin, hein?
- Non, c'est de Jean Cocteau. »
Created by French writer
Maurice Leblanc (1864-1941),
Arsène Lupin appeared in 39 short stories and 17 novels between 1905 and 1939. Several actors portrayed him for the cinema, including
Robert Lamoureux in the 1950s. In 1960,
Jean Gascon played Lupin for Canadian TV. During the decade, writer and director
Jacques Nahum tried to convince French state television about an Arsène Lupin series. Nahum, who adapted
The Saint with
the film
Le Saint mène la danse (1960), had Simon Templar in mind but couldn't get the rights. At the end of 1968,
L'Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française commissioned Jacques Nahum's
Mars International Productions and
Pathé to produce
Arsène Lupin.
Stage and movie actor
Georges Descrières (of the
Comédie-Française) was chosen for the title role in 1969. International co-production with Germany, Canada, Austria, Holland, Italy and Switzerland allowed Lupin to travel in Europe with his
chauffeur
Grognard (French Canadian actor
Yvon Bouchard) for most of
the thirteen 60-minute episodes. The writers loosely based their scripts on Leblanc's work to favour a lighter character. The nonchalant charisma of Descrières and classy production values made
of
Arsène Lupin a success on
the ORTF 2nd channel in the spring 1971. A Bondian title sequence (by
Jean Fouchet) with the music of
Jean-Pierre Bourtayre and an end title sung by
Jacques Dutronc contributed to this popularity.
A second 13-episode season was commissioned to Mars and Pathé.
ORF and
WWF joined as co-producers, hence one episode in Austria and three in Germany. Some of the filming took place in the French region of
Dordogne during the year 1973. Jean-Pierre Bourtayre composed once again the soundtrack, arranged by
Jean-Daniel Mercier. The theme and the title sequence returned but a new end title song,
Gentleman cambrioleur, was composed for
Dutronc by Bourtayre,
Yves Dessca and
Franck Harvel (
Alain Boublil).
1. Herlock Sholmes lance un défi. Lupin steals a necklace to the
count of Dreux-Soubise (
Bernard Dhéran). English detective
Herlock Sholmes (
Henri Virlojeux) challenges him. An enjoyable premiere adapted by
Claude Brulé and directed by
Jean-Pierre Desagnat, who helmed the French episodes of this season.
Roger Carel is back as Arsène's nemesis
Commissaire Guerchard. Also with
Sophie Agacinski (
Nathalie),
Yves Barsacq (
Wilson),
Jacques Monod (
Le préfet),
Bernard Lavalette (
Le ministre) and
Michel Peyrelon as a general. Lupin/Floriani is very
Groucho Marx.
2. Arsène Lupin prend des vacances. Arsène Lupin becomes Inspecteur Lenormand. In Cannes, he investigates the murder of businessman
Kesselbach (
Jacques Debary). Also starring
Claude Degliame (
Dolores),
Daniel Sarky (
Leduc). Adapted by
Nathan Grigorieff, a very good episode including great scenes between Carel and Yvon Bouchard and a tribute to
The Lady from Shanghai.
3. Le mystère de Gesvres. The steward of comte de Gesvres is stabbed during a "visit" of Lupin. Scriptwriter
Albert Simonin introduces reporter
Isidore Beautrelet, a clone of
Rouletabille brilliantly portrayed by
Bernard Giraudeau. Also with
Thérèse Liotard (
Raymonde),
Pauline Larrieu (
Suzanne) and
Henri Tisot (
Juge Duredant).
4. Le secret de l'aiguille. Arsène Lupin steals the jewels of the Crown and the Parchment of William the Conqueror. Herlock Sholmes teams up with Isidore Beautrelet and Guerchard. Adapted by Simonin and filmed in
Étretat. Roger Carel and Bernard Giraudeau are formidable in this bravura piece where Sholmes reads Shakespeare to a dog and Guerchard uses a diving equipment. Arsène's "Commandant Delaville" resembles
Filochard of
Les Pieds nickelés and his "Père supérieur" speaks like
Louis Jouvet.
Catherine Rouvel plays
Geneviève.
5. L'homme au chapeau noir. The
Tout-Paris mourns for Lupin. Herlock Sholmes, Wilson and even Guerchard attend his funeral. Except the gentleman thief is alive and he can't resist to help a lady in distress. An excellent episode adapted by Claude Brulé. The pre-credit sequence refers to Maurice Leblanc, to Brulé's uncle
André Brulé (who played Lupin on stage) or to season one's
Countess Natacha. With
Nicole Calfan (
Catherine),
Karin Petersen (
Juliette),
Gérard Chevalier (
De Boisvert). Stuntman
Gérard Streiff flies in Arsène's biplane.
6. L'écharpe de soie rouge. Music Hall star
Jenny (
Prudence Harrington, who appeared uncredited in the previous episode) marries shady financier
Prévailles (
François Guérin). Adapted by Brulé, this episode is carried by Roger Carel. Jenny's song
is performed by
Anne Germain. Also starring
Sacha Pitoëff (
Ignatieff).
7. La demeure mystérieuse. Model
Régine Aubry (
Marika Green)
is kidnapped wearing a dress covered with diamonds. An average detective case penned by
Georges Berlot. Also starring
Evelyne Dress (
Arlette),
Jacques Toja (
Comte de Mélamare) and
Guy Grosso (
Rabloux).
8. Les huit coups de l'horloge. Hunting with
Baron d'Aigleroche (
François Maistre), Arsène Lupin meets
Hortense (
Corinne Le Poulain) and her cousin
Gaétan (
Pierre Londiche). A good surprise adapted by
Robert Scipion, with Grognard whistling the intro of the series, a car chase and a sabre duel.
9. La dame au chapeau à plumes. Arsène Lupin and Grognard have a car accident in Vienna. Amnesiac, Lupin is helped by a nurse. Adapted by husband and wife
Rolf & Alexandra Becker (
Dickie Dick Dickens) and
Jacques-Roger Nanot, this Austrian entry for
ORF sounds like an ITC show. D
irected by Wolf Dietrich.
10. La danseuse de Rottenburg. Lupin saves a young woman who wanted to commit suicide. This episode and the next two are produced by
Bavaria für
WWF and directed by
Fritz Umgelter. Adapted by R. & A. Becker with
Gerôme Gresy. Günter Strack (Federlin) and Sky du Mont (uncredited) are in the guest cast.
11. Le film révélateur. Arsène turns into American film star Douglas Dutchman to steal a diamond. A pleasant episode adapted by R. & A. Becker with Jacques-Roger Nanot.
12. Double jeu. A forgettable adaptation by R. & A. Becker with Georges Berlot.
13. Le coffre fort de Madame Imbert. Lupin wants to teach a lesson to the greedy
Irène Imbert (
Pascale Roberts). Adapted by Albert Simonin. Also with
Marthe Mercadier (
Sophie),
Jean-Pierre Rambal (
Benoit). The music played by the blind man (
Raymond Bussières) is
L'Arsène, the end title song of the first season.
The 2nd channel aired this final season in winter 1973-1974. Repeats of the series helped to establish Georges Descrières as the definitive Arsène Lupin
for generations of viewers, although Leblanc's fans may disagree. Jacques Nahum brought back Lupin to television with
Arsène Lupin joue et perd (1980, starring
Jean-Claude Brialy),
Le retour d'Arsène Lupin (1989) and its follow-up
Les Nouveaux Exploits d'Arsène Lupin (1995), both with
François Dunoyer. Descrières played
Sam Kramer alongside Corinne Le Poulain and later
Nicole Calfan in
Sam et Sally (1978-1980), based on the books of
M.G. Braun and produced by Nahum.
Amongst familiar French faces of the era or abroad, Georges Descrières, his
elegance and his disguises make of
Arsène Lupin a special treat. Bonus material of the
Koba Films DVD set includes a video of Jacques Dutronc singing
Gentleman cambrioleur and a Making of
La demeure mystérieuse. Last month Koba released
Arsène Lupin - L'intégrale, a DVD box set with the two seasons.
http://www.kobafilms.fr/serie/arsene-lupin---saison-2-455.html
http://www.kobafilms.fr/coffret/arsebne-lupin---lintegrale-466.html
http://arsenelupingc.free.fr/index.php
http://www.ina.fr/video/CPF86626021/les-coproductions-a-l-ortf-une-interview-d-yves-jaigu.fr.html
http://theavengers.fr/index.php/hors-serie/annees-1970/arsene-lupin-1971-1974
Season 1:
http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2015/01/arsene-lupin-season-one-french-region-2.html
