ALLMEN UND DAS GEHEIMNIS DES KOI (DAS ERSTE)

The vacations of the dandy art detective Allmen turn into business as usual (i.e. troubles) when he must find a stolen Koi fish.

The flamboyant Johann Friedrich von Allmen and his loyal though sarcastic Guatemalan valet Carlos first appeared in Allmen and the Dragonflies (Allmen und die Libellen, 2011), a novel written by bestselling Swiss author Martin Suter and followed by five more books. Four Allmen TV movies based on the novels were aired by pubcaster Das Erste between 2017 and 2021: Allmen und das Geheimnis der Libellen, Allmen und das Geheimnis des rosa Diamanten, Allmen und das Geheimnis der Dahlien and Allmen und das Geheimnis der Erotik. Allmen und das Geheimnis des Koi, the fifth one, was filmed in 2023 and shown last month in Germany and Austria.

Those movies star Heino Ferch (Nordholm, Anatomy of Evil) as Johann Friedrich von Allmen and Samuel Finzi (Flemming) as Carlos. Andrea Osvárt (Tranporter: The Series) plays Joelle "Jojo" Hirt, the daughter of one of the richest men in Switzerland and Allmen's love interest. From the second film, Isabella Parkinson joined the cast as Carlos' Colombian girlfriend Maria Moreno. Adapted by scriptwriter Martin Rauhaus (Hotel Heidelberg) from the book Allmen und der Koi, Allmen und das Geheimnis des Koi is directed by Sinje Köhler. Far from his money issues and the attention of the Zurich tax office, Allmen is on holiday in Tenerife with Jojo and Carlos.

 

Film mogul Steve Garrett uses music producer Freddie Turnbill, a friend of Johann, to get the services of the detective but not for a missing work of art. He wants him to find "Boy", his $1,5 million Japanese Koi fish which vanished from the pond in his garden. Garrett won't take a no for an answer so he forces Johann to accept. Garrett's girlfriend Dr. Akina de la Vega happens to be a Koi expert, author of a book called Miracle of the Koi. Allmen meets English photographer Helen Lifehouse and Italian gangster Vittorio Giunninazzi. Freddie is murdered and Jojo decides to investigate too. No Prague doubling as Zurich this time but the beautiful scenery of Tenerife, which suits our quatuor very well.

 

The excellent cast also includes Uwe Kockisch (Donna Leon) as Steve Garrett, Falilou Seck (Freddie), Alejandro Barrios (Bajrush), Edita Malovčić (Dr. Akina de la Vega), Jörg Witte (Vale), Michaela Rosen (Helen Lifehouse), David Lifschitz (Der König von Palma) as Vittorio Giunninazzi, etc. Produced by UFA Fiction  (a Fremantle company) with SunnySideUp Productions (Balko Teneriffa) for ARD Degeto and Das Erste. Produced by Alena Gößling and Sinah Swyter. Karsten Kilian and Bettina Höfke are the production managers. Holger Krenz is the line producer. Music by Fabian Römer and Mathias Hillebrand-Gonzalez. Thomas Franz is the production designer. Cinematography by Frank Küpper. Editing by David Kuruc.

 

Production services in Spain by Rolf Wappenschmitt (SunnySideUp), carried out in the Canary Islands. Allmen und das Geheimnis des Koi has benefited from the Spanish Tax Rebate in collaboration with the Spanish Government and the Tenerife Film Commission. We're not finished with the adventures of Johann Friedrich von Allmen, Carlos and their lady friends because there's a seventh Allmen book called Allmen und Herr Weynfeldt, released in March 2024. This "Herr Weynfeldt" is in fact Adrian Weynfeldt, the main character of Martin Suter's novel Der letzte Weynfeldt (2008).

 

https://www.daserste.de/unterhaltung/film/filme-im-ersten/sendung/allmen-und-das-geheimnis-des-koi-100.html 

https://www.diogenes.ch/foreign-rights/authors.html?detail=ea558281-f42e-425c-9959-7c0411d831c5

https://sunnysideup-productions.es/

https://www.tvspielfilm.de/news/tv/heino-ferch-ist-als-kunstdetektiv-zurueck-wie-geht-es-nach-allmen-und-das-geheimnis-des-koi-weiter,12569309,ApplicationArticle.html

MONSIEUR PARIZOT (TF1)

Christian Parizot (Patrick Paroux) is the most popular character of French private channel TF1's hit Camping Paradis. Now the camper becomes an amateur sleuth in Monsieur Parizot.

 

This 2 x 45-minute pilot is a welcome addition to TF1's crime/comedy line-up.

 

The bottom line: Les petits meurtres de Monsieur Parizot.

 

Aired since 2006, Camping Paradis is produced by Jean Luc Azoulay's JLA Productions with TF1. This comedy series was created by Michel Alexandre, Ludovic Pion-Dumas & Anne Badel. It is centered on the everyday life and problems of Tom Delormes (Laurent Ournac), who runs a campsite in the south of France, and his team. The extraordinary Patrick Paroux (Around the world in 80 days, Amelie) plays the grouchy Christian Parizot, the most faithful client of the Camping Paradis where he has been going every summer for 35 years. Parizot first appeared in the fourth episode, written by Jérôme Michaud-Larivière and Thomas Perrier, as "M. Parizot".

 

Monsieur Parizot takes Patrick Paroux to Colmar, where Christian Parizot lives. This retiree divides his time between watching detective dramas with the eye of an expert (he read all Agatha Christie three times!) and amateur cycling, his great passion. One day, his cycling companion dies in an apparent accident before joining him. Christian immediately notices very specific details that make him suspect a murder. Lieutenant Alexandra Bauer, of the Gendarmerie, decides to investigate against her hierarchy. As the wealthy family of his friend wants to meet Parizot, Bauer prompts him to accept the invitation.

« Non mais dites donc, j'suis pas à vos ordres! Qu'est-ce que j'irais faire au milieu d'un panier de crabes de nobles alsaciens? »

Directed by Camping Paradis' regular helmer Nicolas Copin, Monsieur Parizot was penned by Laurent Mondy. Frequent writer of Camping Paradis, the latter is the creator of another production from JLA: Magellan (Commissaire Magellan, 2009-2021). Parizot watches an episode of the much-missed mystery drama (1) written by Mondy and complains about "ces tocards de scénaristes"... right before jumping into the tropes of Commissaire Magellan. It's quite enjoyable to watch Patrick Paroux as a comedy Poirot version of the beloved Camping Paradis character. Parizot drives an old Peugeot 405 and wears plaid sweaters over his famous floral shirts. He likes to ride his bike or smoke a pipe to think things through.

 

Of course, there are charming references to Camping Paradis. Lieutenant Bauer, Parizot's "Watson", is played by Clémence Lassalas (Demain nous appartient). Philippe Caroit (Perfect Murders, Borderland) guest stars as Jean-Dominique de Saint-Ulrich. The other actors of this "petit meurtre en famille" are Carole Richert (Astrid de Saint Ulrich), Firmine Richard (Josiane Kopp), Olivier Sitruk (Sainclair Vandeuil), Piérick Tournier (Vianney de Saint Ulrich), Sören Prévost (Hans), Diane Dassigny (Plus belle la vie, encore plus belle) as Faustine de Saint Ulrich, Charlie Joirkin (Jennifer Maillard), Charlotte Lacoste (Camille de Saint Ulrich), Bruno Dreyfürst (Captain Brunet) and Houaria Kaidari (Maître Klein).

 

Produced by JLA Productions and TF1 with the participation of RTL-TVI and RTS Radio Télévision Suisse. Made with the support of Région Grand Est, Colmar Agglomération (Réseau Plato) and Bureau des images Grand Est. Olivier Guedj exec produces. Produced by Richard Berkowitz and Mathieu Delarive. Emmanuel Libermann is the production manager. Music by Frédéric Porte (Camping Paradis, Magellan). Cinematography by Olivier Guarguir. Editing by Jean-Luc Thomas. Filmed between November and December 2023 in Alsace, Monsieur Parizot aired in Switzerland and Belgium this month but not yet in France.

(1) Première Ballerine, directed by Étienne Dhaene.

 

https://www.nicocopin.com/

JOLLY JOKER - THE COMPLETE SERIES ON DVD (FERNSEHJUWELEN)

Special thanks to Marco Serafini, Stephan Bechtle, Nathalie Attard and Amandine Attard.

Jolly Joker, the excellent 1991-1992 German adventure-comedy series, is available since last month on DVD thanks to Fernsehjuwelen.

Christian Borg is a jet-setting playboy who enjoys the pleasures of life to the point of regularly going broke. He often risks his Jaguar E-Type in silly bets to pay his latest extravagance until his old uncle, the wealthy Artur Brecht, appears to cancel his debt. Although Brecht is one of the ten richest men in the world, he's also stingy and he always asks his nephew to pay him back with various assignments all over the globe. The billionaire runs his empire from a high-tech office in his countryside house, whose gatekeeper is a moody electronic lion named Hugo. 

Artur's assistant Anette, an expert in science and weaponry, provides Borg with the intel he needs and all sorts of gadgets that explode, smoke or emit a laser beam. Brecht cannot use his computers without Anette and he has no grip on Erich, a food and drink dispenser robot in charge of his diet. The missions may not seem impossible for a young man as resourceful as Christian Borg. He must check on the condition of a Greek minister wounded by a model helicopter, find a stolen truck full of food for Africa, buy a collection of rare wines in Tuscany, investigate the disappearance of a  samba dancer,  visit a French scientist who can make gold, etc. The places (and the girls) are beautiful, except that with Artur Brecht there's always a catch. 

Produced by the venerable German production company Bavaria Film for the early evening schedule of the ARD network, the  22 x 52-minute episodes of Jolly Joker (one pilot + 21 episodes) ran from January 1991 to September 1992. The series was developed by scriptwriter Thomas Kubisch and Bavaria Film producer Stephan Bechtle as a parody of James Bond, hence the « Mein Name ist Borg, Christian Borg » catchphrase, the gadgets and Anette as the equivalent of 007's Q. Austrian actor Stefan Fleming (Familie Merian) plays Borg. Paul Hubschmid (Funeral in Berlin, Fritz Lang's diptych The Tiger of Eschnapur and The Indian Tomb) is Artur Brecht. Anette is played by Maja Maranow, noticed by German viewers in Rivalen der Rennbahn (1989) (1).

Luxembourg-born director and screenwriter Marco Serafini (Schwarz Rot Gold) was chosen by Stephan Bechtle to helm all the episodes of Jolly Joker. Both were students at the Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film (HFF) in Munich. The series was penned by Stephan Kubisch, Stephan Cipriano, Klaus Fröba, Claus-Michael Rohne, Alexander Stever, Fabienne Paklepa and Stephan Kirste. Marco Serafini and the production team prepared Christian Borg's eventful travels by looking for foreign locations and did the casting on-site. Then, they gave their specifications to the scriptwriters who wrote on this basis. Jolly Joker was filmed in Greece (Rhodes), Tuscany (Trequanda), Naples, Chili (Santiago, the Humberstone ghost town, Antofagasta, the Vergara Pier...), Brazil, Morocco (Tangier, Fez), France (Camargue, Corsica), Luxembourg, Portugal and Austria. 

An international cast worked on the series: Mimi Denissi (2), Giorgos Kotanidis, Leonard Lansink (best known today for Wilsberg), Corinna Drews, Walter Buschhoff, Ludger Pistor (who gained fame with Balko), Lino Salemme (Demons), Miroslav Nemec, Anouschka Renzi, Isaac Bardavid (Escrava Isaura), Alexa Wiegandt, John Knuckey (La Quintrala), Desirée Nosbuch, Natacha Amal, Irene Hubschmid-Schiesser, Nicolas Vogel, Florence Geanty (Marc et Sophie), Ana Padrão, Georges Claisse, Nadia Fares, Will Danin, Michel Voletti and many others. Borg's crazy gambles and the scenes in Brecht's house were shot in and around Munich and in the Bavaria Film Studios. An episode (Münzpoker) was shot entirely in Germany and Marco Serafini even used the set from the film Das Boot in the Bavaria Studios.

The episode Schwere Erbschaft, made in Luxembourg with tax credit money, was an idea of the director who co-produced it via his own company LFP. A chase in the Jean-Monnet Building at Luxembourg-Kirchberg was filmed for the occasion. Despite shooting abroad and some special effects, production costs looked reasonable for series commissionner Westdeutsches Werbefernsehen (WWF) Köln. They considered them close to those of the crime drama Der Fahnder (1981-2005) (3). The pilot of Jolly Joker (Tod am hoher See) was filmed in 1988, essentially in Rhodes. The shooting actually began in Bavaria with Peter Pasetti as Brecht but the actor had to be replaced by Paul Hubschmid due to health issues. Five more episodes were produced that year.

There was a press screening in October 1988, six episodes were filmed in 1989 and ten in 1990. The making of Jolly Joker was long and the network wanted a substantial number of episodes to show the series. The pilot was finally presented in primetime on January 6, 1991. Then, twelve episodes aired from January 8 to March 26, 1991. When Jolly Joker returned on March 10, 1992, "nine new episodes" were announced but ARD axed it because of the ratings (4) after the episode shown on April 7, 1992 (Der Schatz von Lissabon). The series arrived in France on M6 as Le Joker (July 19, 1992) and ended its run in Germany from August to September 1992. The soundtrack of Jolly Joker was composed by  Harald Kloser and Thomas Schobel. English singer Chris Thompson performed the title song Playground of the Joker, written by Harald Kloser, Benny Bilgeri and Chris Thompson (5).

Stefan Fleming pursued a versatile career as an actor, presenter, author, scriptwriter and voice artist. From 1994 to 1997, he wrote and hosted the children programme Raus mit Stefan for Austrian television ORF. Fleming co-starred in Der Winzerkönig (2006-2010) and worked extensively on stage. Maja Maranow guest starred in numerous TV series, played in Der König von St. Pauli (1998) and had a regular role in the long-running crime drama Ein Starkes Team, aired by ZDF since 1994. Sadly, the actress died on January 4, 2016, aged 54. Marco Serafini established himself as one of the most important television directors in Europe. His filmography includes episodes of In Namen des Gesetses (1994-2008), Zwei Brüder (1997-1999), Polizeiruf 110 (6) or Il Commissario Rex (2008-2015). He helmed several TV movies based on the novels by Rosamunde Pilcher and the books of Inga Lindström (Inga Lindström is produced by Stephan Bechtle for Bavaria Fiction).

The globe-trotting adventures of Christian Borg are vividly remembered by viewers who watched Jolly Joker at the time. As well as Borg' Scrooge MacDuck/Donald Duck relationship with Brecht, the inventions of the genius Anette, the extraordinary locations, the stunts, the humour (Hugo and Erich demand the 35-hour week!) and Playground of the Joker. Lead by a brilliant cast and competently done, Jolly Joker is an ambitious production which doesn't take itself seriously. The 6-disc DVD boxset by Fernsehjuwelen contains the 22 episodes (in German). Bonus material is comprised of a digital booklet written by Oliver Bayan, a trailer of Jolly Joker, a reversible cover and the trailers of a few gems from Film- und Fernsehjuwelen (Jerry Cotton, Kommissar X, Fu Manchu, the BBC/ZDF series Paul Temple, Poppy Is Also a Flower and Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die).

(1) Created by Ted Willis, Eric Paice and Anita Mally.
(2) Eminent Greek theatre actress and personality.
(3) https://taz.de/Gluecksritter-Borg-in-Aktion/!1738731/
(4) https://taz.de/!1673343/
(5) The soundtrack of Jolly Joker, containing Playground of the Joker and other songs, was released in 1991. The same year, a tie-in novel by Klaus Killian was published.
(6) Polizeiruf 110 began in 1971 as the answer of East Germany to Tatort, the crime drama collection of ARD launched in 1970. Both are still aired today.

https://www.fernsehjuwelen.de/Jolly-Joker-Gesamtedition-Alle-22-Folgen-6-DVDs/6424104
http://marcoserafini.com/
https://www.bavaria-fiction.de/person/stephan-bechtle
https://www.fleming.at/ (Stefan Fleming)

See also:

https://www.funke-stertz.de/wp-content/uploads/Thomas-Kubisch-%E2%80%93-Funke-Stertz.pdf (Thomas Kubisch)

7 HOMMES EN ENFER (ANTENNE 2, 1981)

The world is on the brink of a nuclear war and the President of France must make an important decision.

7 hommes en enfer is a 75-minute French political fiction TV movie written and helmed for Antenne 2 by author, scriptwriter and director Youri Komerovsky (aka Youri), known for the youth television series Le monde enchanté d'Isabelle (1973) (1). Youri also worked on dramas like Les Cinq Dernières minutes, Les enquêtes du commissaire Maigret or Messieurs les jurés. He even directed a young Gérard Depardieu in L'Inconnu (1973) and Linda Thorson (The Avengers) in Les palmiers du métropolitain (1978). 

 

Shot during spring 1979 (2), 7 hommes en enfer was aired by Antenne 2 on May 14, 1981. The confrontation between the two atomic superpowers is at its peak and a country allied to France is directly threatened. Nuclear dissuasion seems the only solution for the President of France. He summons the Prime minister, three important ministers, the Army Chief of Staff and the intelligence chief in the middle of the night to get their opinion and inform them of his choice. Suddenly, a siren warning of a nuclear attack prompts the seven men to go down into the presidential fallout shelter. Soon, they feel the need to assess the situation above and decide to send three of them outdoors, dressed in anti-radiation suits.

The idea of the script came to Youri at a time when the tensions between Soviet Union and the United States were an everyday preoccupation in Europe. 7 hommes en enfer opens with a real vox pop where people in the street are asked about the possibility of a Third World War. The writer/director did a lot of research but the channel, which financed 7 hommes en enfer, was worried of the cost of the sets he had in mind. Youri reduced the shooting to a record 16 days in order to save money for his vision of the project (3). The result suffers from obvious budget limitations but is redeemed by a clever scenario, served by a brilliant cast, and a disillusioned twist ending.

Christian Barbier (La Horse, L'Armée des Ombres) plays Guillaume, the Foreign secretary. Barbier reached fame with the ORTF drama L'Homme du Picardie (1968) and he almost became the successor to Raymond Souplex in Les Cinq Dernières Minutes (4). Defense minister Daniel is played by the great stage, cinema and television actor Michel Vitold (L'homme qui revient de loin, Judex). Character actor Jacques Lalande has a short but effective participation towards the end as The Delegate. Also with François Darbon (Minister of the Interior Simon), Maurice Garrel (General Karr, the Army chief of staff), Paul Guers (Prime minister Philippe), Claude Mann (Hollandy, the Intelligence chief), Georges Marchal (The President), etc.

Produced by Christian Chivot and Évelyne Hamel. There's no original music, as often with French  TV productions of the time. Sound illustration by James Madelon. Cinematography by René Mathelin. Editing by Huguette Ajax and Michel Fournier. Production designed by Bernard Thomassin.

(1) Also a series of book written by Youri.

(2) (3) Télé 7 Jours N°1093 (May 9, 1981)

(4) https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2024/06/rouges-sont-les-vendanges-ortf-1974.html

LES CINQ DERNIÈRES MINUTES: LA MÉMOIRE LONGUE (ANTENNE 2, 1975)

Commissaire Cabrol and Inspector Ménardeau, of the Police judiciaire, investigate a murder in the world of junk dealers.

 

La mémoire longue is an episode of the feature-length French detective series Les Cinq Dernières Minutes (1958-1996).

 

Created by journalist, director, scriptwriter and producer Claude Loursais, Les Cinq Dernières Minutes is one of the first series in the History of French television. It was launched on January 1, 1958 on the only channel of RTF (Radiodiffusion Télévision Française), the predecessor of ORTF (Office de radiodiffusion-télévision française). Les Cinq Dernières Minutes went through many changes in three "eras" until France 2 shown its 149th episode on December 20, 1996.  The first era (1958-1973) was penned by Claude Loursais  — who directed most of its episodes  — with Fred Kassak, Louis C. Thomas, Michel Lebrun, Maurice-Bernard Endrèbe, Henri Grangé, André Maheux, Jean Cosmos, etc. This version starred Raymond Souplex as Inspecteur/Commissaire Antoine Bourrel and Jean Daurand as Inspecteur Dupuy.

 

The popularity of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes peaked in the 1960s-1970s and turned Raymond Souplex and Jean Daurand into TV stars. Bourrel's catchphrase (« Bon Dieu, mais c'est bien sûr! ») entered the vernacular. The series was adapted in Germany (Dem Täter auf der Spur, 1967-1973). The programme switched from black and white to colour in 1971 and Dupuy was gradually phased out after Jean Daurand's health issues. Following the death of Souplex in 1972, four TV movies were tested by Loursais between July 1974 and January 1975 (not in production order) on the Deuxième chaîne and Antenne 2: Rouges sont les vendanges, Fausse note, Si ce n'est toi and Le Coup de pouce. Those films, independent from Les Cinq Dernières Minutes though built on its "formula", introduced new detectives and the famous theme music by Marc Lanjean (1) was notably absent.

 

In 1974, Jacques Debary (Poker d'as) was announced  as the unnamed commissaire of Loursais' new (as yet untitled) mystery drama and that the shooting of its first episode had begun. This episode, called Le lièvre blanc aux oreilles noires, was aired by Antenne 2 on May 19, 1975 as part of a relaunched Cinq Dernières Minutes. Commissaire Broussard (Debary) had to be renamed Cabrol because there was a real-life supercop named Broussard. Helmed by Claude Loursais and penned by novelist and writer Jean Chatenet, La mémoire longue is the second episode of what TV magazines called "Les Nouvelles Cinq Dernières Minutes". Actor Marc Eyraud returns as Inspector Ménardeau, seen in Si ce n'est toi, Fausse note and Rouges sont les vendanges.

 

Martin Lagache, a petty junk dealer, and his girlfriend Thérèse steal a box of phonograph cylinders during the moving of the wealthy antique dealer Gilles Pierrefort. Soon, Martin behaves like he has received a huge sum of money. A furious Pierrefort arrives at his shop and wants to see him but the young man is found stabbed to death. Cabrol and Ménardeau interrogate two colourful junk dealers, Georgette and Félix, and meet Gilles Pierrefort. When he arrived in summer 1974, Ménardeau was quickly compared to Columbo. His creator Claude Loursais, irritated by this comparison, argued that the inspector preceded the American lieutenant (2). Except that the dishevelled detective portrayed by Peter Falk was first seen on French TV in December 1972.

 

Claude Loursais probably stopped feeling annoyed because La mémoire longue is influenced by Columbo beyond the presence of Ménardeau, even if the murderer is not known from the start. The great stage, television and cinema actor Jean Topart (Rocambole) is fabulous as Gilles Pierrefort. Topart had an extraordinary voice, which made him work extensively for radio and dubbing. The antique dealer is Jean Chatenet's answer to the rich villains of Columbo. Of course, Cabrol and Ménardeau engage in a psychological confrontation with him. At some point, Ménardeau says that he must talk to his wife. Officially christened Cabrol in this episode, the commissaire is "softer" than in Le lièvre blanc aux oreilles noires. The Gitanes Maïs smoker has now the sense of humour.

Anémone plays Thérèse. The actress played supporting roles in three episodes of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes in a row, this one included. In the 1980s, she became a star of the big screen and had a versatile career with films such as Le père Noël est une ordure (1982) or Le grand chemin (1988). In the former her character is named Thérèse too. Also with René Lefevre (Félix), Georgette Anys (Georgette), Bernard Allouf (Martin Lagache), Liliane Gaudet, Nono Zammit, Henri Crémieux... Produced by Jean Le Coz. There's no original music, as often with French  TV productions of the time. Cinematography by Pierre Mareschal. Video editing by Christiane Coutel. Film editing by M-L Stockhrasen. The duo Cabrol-Ménardeau bowed out in 1991, to be replaced by Pierre Santini (Un juge, un flic) as Commissaire Julien Massard and Pierre Hoden (Inspecteur Antoine Barrier) from 1992 to 1996. 

 

The episodes of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes from 1958 to 1991 are available on Madelen, the streaming service of INA. The Cabrol-Ménardeau era was shown in Germany on ZDF as Kommissar Cabrol ermittelt - Die Fälle des Monsieur Cabrol.

 

(1) Arsenic Blues, composed by Marc Lanjean for the movie La Peau de l'ours (1957).

(2) Télé 7 Jours N°793 (May 10, 1975).

https://madelen.ina.fr/serie/les-cinq-dernieres-minutes-i-2583

https://madelen.ina.fr/serie/les-cinq-dernieres-minutes-ii-2621

See also: 

 

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2024/07/fausse-note-ortf-1974.html

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2024/06/si-ce-nest-toi-ortf-1974.html

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2024/06/rouges-sont-les-vendanges-ortf-1974.html

FAUSSE NOTE (ORTF, 1974)

Fausse note is a colour 95-minute mystery TV movie produced by ORTF (Office de radiodiffusion-télévision française) and aired by its Deuxième chaîne on August 1, 1974.

It's also one of four very peculiar episodes of the detective series Les Cinq Dernières Minutes (1958-1996).

 

Created by journalist, director, scriptwriter and producer Claude Loursais, Les Cinq Dernières Minutes is one of the first series in the History of French television. It was launched on January 1, 1958 on the only channel of RTF (Radiodiffusion Télévision Française), the predecessor of ORTF. Les Cinq Dernières Minutes went through many changes in three "eras" until France 2 shown its 149th episode on December 20, 1996. The first era (1958-1973) was penned by Loursais  — who directed most of its episodes  — with Fred Kassak, Louis C. Thomas, Michel Lebrun, Maurice-Bernard Endrèbe, Henri Grangé, André Maheux, Jean Cosmos, etc. This version starred Raymond Souplex as Inspecteur/Commissaire Antoine Bourrel and Jean Daurand as Inspecteur Dupuy. Pierre Collet played Brigadier Coulomb. 

Les Cinq Dernières Minutes began as a mystery gameshow aired live. Two selected viewers watched a whodunit, then Inspecteur Bourrel asked them the solution and how to prove it with the possibility to watch again two scenes. Les Cinq Dernières Minutes dropped live broadcasting and the game format to explore different socio-professional environments in episodes shot in studio on video and on 16mm film for the locations. The popularity of the programme peaked in the 1960s-1970s and turned Raymond Souplex and Jean Daurand into TV stars. Bourrel's catchphrase (« Bon Dieu, mais c'est bien sûr! ») entered the vernacular. The series was even adapted in Germany (Dem Täter auf der Spur, 1967-1973). Les Cinq Dernières Minutes switched from black and white to colour in 1971 and Dupuy was gradually phased out after Jean Daurand's health issues.

 

In September 1972, Raymond Souplex worked on the 56th episode, Un gros pépin dans le chasselas. The shooting was interrupted by the ORTF rolling strikes of October but the scenarios of two episodes, Les griffes de la colombe (Episode 57) and Fausse note, were ready (1) so the actor rehearsed the former on November 20. He died two days later from cancer, aged 71. Claude Loursais decided that Episode 56, completed thanks to script changes and editing, would be the final one (2). Nevertheless, four TV movies were tested between July 1974 and January 1975 (not in production order) on the Deuxième chaîne and Antenne 2: Rouges sont les vendanges, Fausse note, Si ce n'est toi (formerly Les griffes de la colombe) and Le Coup de pouce. Those films, independent from Les Cinq Dernières Minutes though built on its "formula", introduced new detectives and the famous theme music by Marc Lanjean (3) was notably absent. 

 

Helmed by Claude Loursais, Fausse note was penned by Louis C. Thomas and Michel Lebrun. Like Si ce n'est toi it was written for Bourrel, so both scripts had to be revised. Gilbert Gauthier, a flamboyant musician and composer, is shot dead in his soundproof appartment. Oddly, the murder was caught by Gauthier's tape recorder. Officier de police principal Ménardeau investigates. The excellent Marc Eyraud is back as the Columbo-esque Ménardeau after the first appearance of his character as the sidekick of the main detective in Si ce n'est toi. His religious beliefs, no longer mentioned, are replaced by a cynical sense of humour. The good plot is enriched by the presence of real musicians amongst the cast, starting with Jamaican jazz trumpeter Sonny Grey as Aristote. Accordeonist and trombonist Charles Verstraete has an uncredited cameo in a flashback scene. Violonist Gérard Jarry talks with Ménardeau.

Clarinetist Julien Froment is played by the legendary French actor, singer and musician Guy Marchand. He worked for the greatest film directors and his resume includes the main role in the crime drama Nestor Burma (1991-2003), based on the novels by Léo Malet. Alain Mottet (Vidocq) delivers a superb performance as Igor Cléry. Henri-Jacques Huet, a familiar of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes in different roles, returns and this time he's the victim. Jean-François Rémi, of the Comédie-Française, plays Richard Barnett. He was one of the regulars of the ORTF sci-fi series Aux frontières du possible (1971-1974). Popular supporting actress Florence Blot (Un curé de choc) shares a great scene with Marc Eyraud/Ménardeau as "La concierge". Also with Laurence Vincendon (Sophie Cléry), Gilles Guillot (Sound engineer), Jeanne Herviale (Madeleine), Claude Bertrand (Thoreau), Nono Zammit (Doudou), etc.

Produced by Pierre Monzat and Michelle Piétri. Music by composer, conductor and pianist Jean-Claude Pelletier. Cinematography by Michel Carré. Video editing by Christiane Coutel. Film editing by Roger Taconnat. After Fausse note, Ménardeau became the deputy of Commissaire Le Carré (Christian Barbier) in Rouges sont les vendanges. The four TV movies are retrospectively considered as "La période intermédiaire" of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes. In 1974, Jacques Debary (Poker d'as) was announced  as the unnamed commissaire of Loursais' new (as yet untitled) mystery drama and that the shooting of its first episode had begun. This episode, called Le lièvre blanc aux oreilles noires, was aired by Antenne 2 on May 19, 1975 as part of... Les Cinq Dernières Minutes. Commissaire Broussard (Jacques Debary) had to be renamed Cabrol because there was a real-life supercop named Broussard. Marc Eyraud came back again as Ménardeau in the following episode for an association with Cabrol which lasted until 1991.

 

Pierre Santini (Un juge, un flic) as Commissaire Julien Massard and Pierre Hoden (Inspecteur Antoine Barrier) were the final duo of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes from 1992 to 1996. Perrette Souplex, the daughter of Raymond Souplex, guest starred as Bourrel's daughter in a 1995 episode. The episodes of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes from 1958 to 1991 are available on Madelen, the streaming service of INA. 

 

(1) Michel Lebrun in Télé 7 Jours N°744 (July 27, 1974).

(2) Télé 7 Jours N°667 (February 3, 1973).

(3) Arsenic Blues, composed by Marc Lanjean for the movie La Peau de l'ours (1957). 

 

https://madelen.ina.fr/serie/les-cinq-dernieres-minutes-i-2583

https://madelen.ina.fr/serie/les-cinq-dernieres-minutes-ii-2621

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-4b2d-chris-searle-on-jazz-sonny-grey-1

See also: 

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2024/06/si-ce-nest-toi-ortf-1974.html

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2024/06/rouges-sont-les-vendanges-ortf-1974.html

DES YEUX PAR MILLIERS BRAQUÉS SUR NOUS (ORTF, 1971)

An actor who stars in a popular TV series is trapped in a strange hotel.

Des yeux par milliers braqués sur nous is a black and white 85-minute fantasy TV movie produced by ORTF (Office de radiodiffusion-télévision française) and aired by its Première chaîne on February 27, 1971. A sniper targets a soccer match when he's arrested by a commissaire at the end of an episode from a series. Its star, Raymond, drives to join a couple of friends in the countryside. His car breaks down and he disappears while searching for help. The actor wakes up in an ultra-modern hotel where time runs faster, balconies are enclosed by a transparent glass wall and guests walk around in circle inside the hotel when they want to stroll.

 

The employees are invisible though their work is always done. Much to Raymond' surprise, no guest ever feels the need to go outside. TV sets in the rooms broadcast the wildest dreams of the clients and the lift never goes beyond the first floor. Only one man seems to have some answers and he shows Raymond that they are observed. "Raymond" is played by Raymond Souplex (1), first known for the radio sitcom Sur le banc (1937-1940, 1949-1963) and, from 1958 to his death in 1972, for the role which made him a TV superstar: Commissaire Antoine Bourrel in the detective series Les Cinq Dernières Minutes (1958-1996). Des yeux par milliers braqués sur nous was written by Henri Grangé (2) and André Maheux, who worked on Les Cinq Dernières Minutes until 1964-1965. After that, they wrote the ORTF drama hit L'Homme du Picardie (1968).

 

Alain Boudet, who helmed Des yeux par milliers braqués sur nous,  was one of the great directors of RTF (Radiodiffusion Télévision Française) and its successor ORTF. His film Le navire étoile (1962), written by Michel Subiela, was the first science-fiction programme made for French television. Boudet directed the fantasy TV movie Bouclage (1968), that he wrote with his frequent collaborator Christian-Daniel Watton, and three episodes of Michel Subiela's fantasy anthology Le Tribunal de l'impossible (1967-1974). Henri Grangé et André Maheux imagined Des yeux par milliers braqués sur nous with Raymond Souplex in mind (3). The most famous actor of French television admitted he couldn't escape the celebrity brought by Les Cinq Dernières Minutes. The scene where Raymond asks the director if he could play a bishop is inspired by a real anecdote (4).

 

The guests of the hotel are named after characters from episodes of Les Cinq Dernières minutes penned by Grangé and Maheux. The duo often tries parody, particularly after someone is murdered and one of the clients happens to be a real commissaire played by Guy Tréjean. Tréjean was Commissaire Lambert in the crime drama Allô Police (1966-1970). Except the exercice de style of the scriptwriters doesn't add up with the vision of director Alain Boudet, itself limited by the budget constraints and the shooting of two-thirds of the movie at the Cognacq-Jay studios. The constant feeling, justified or not, that Des yeux par milliers braqués sur nous was influenced by The Prisoner and The Twilight Zone is puzzling. In any case, it's easy to spot nods to Fritz Lang and Franz Kafka. Eventually, the film wants to be too many things simultaneously.

Jacques Debary (The director) and Marc Eyraud (Monsieur Grisolles), co-starred in the relaunched Les Cinq Dernières Minutes between 1975 and 1991. Also with Jean Leuvrais (Cazères), Jean Daniel (Poujol), Anna Gaylor (Madame Grisolles), Jacqueline Jefford and Fulbert Janin (Les Bretenoux), Catherine Rich and Van Doude (Les Dennevy), Françoise Bonneau and Guy Naigeon (Les Crégut), Jean Clarieux, Liliane Gaudet, etc. Pierre Gout is the production manager. Cinematography by Louis Miaille. Editing by Guy Fitoussi and Françoise Bac. Production designed by Jean-Baptiste Hughes and Constantin Hagondokoff. There is no original music, nor sound illustration. Des yeux par milliers braqués sur nous and the episodes of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes from 1958 to 1991 are available on Madelen, the streaming service of INA.

 

(1) The character is credited as "Raymond" but an assistant calls him "Monsieur Souplex".

(2) Sometimes spelled "Henry Grangé".

(3) (4) Télé 7 Jours N°566 (February 27, 1971).

 

https://madelen.ina.fr/content/des-yeux-par-milliers-braques-sur-nous-69484 

https://madelen.ina.fr/content/le-navire-etoile-68835

https://galerie23.blogspot.com/2012/02/constantin-hagondokoff.html 

 

See also:

 

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2024/06/si-ce-nest-toi-ortf-1974.html

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2024/06/rouges-sont-les-vendanges-ortf-1974.html 

SI CE N'EST TOI (ORTF, 1974)

Si ce n'est toi is a colour 109-minute mystery TV movie produced by ORTF (Office de radiodiffusion-télévision française) and aired by its Deuxième chaîne on August 16, 1974.

It's also one of four very peculiar episodes of the detective series Les Cinq Dernières Minutes (1958-1996).

Created by journalist, director, scriptwriter and producer Claude Loursais, Les Cinq Dernières Minutes is one of the first series in the History of French television. It was launched on January 1, 1958 on the only channel of RTF (Radiodiffusion Télévision Française), the predecessor of ORTF. Les Cinq Dernières Minutes went through numerous changes in three "eras" until France 2 shown its 149th episode on December 20, 1996. The first era (1958-1973) was penned by Loursais  — who directed most of its episodes  — with Fred Kassak, Louis C. Thomas, Michel Lebrun, Maurice-Bernard Endrèbe, Henri Grangé, André Maheux, Jean Cosmos, etc. This version starred Raymond Souplex as the mustachioed and gruff Inspecteur/Commissaire Antoine Bourrel and Jean Daurand as Inspecteur Dupuy. Pierre Collet played Brigadier Coulomb. 

Les Cinq Dernières Minutes was initially a mystery gameshow aired live from the Buttes-Chaumont studios. Two selected viewers watched a whodunit, then Inspecteur Bourrel asked them the solution and how to prove it with the possibility to watch again two scenes. Les Cinq Dernières Minutes dropped live broadcasting and the game format to explore different socio-professional environments in episodes shot in studio on video and on 16mm film for the locations. The popularity of the programme peaked in the 1960s-1970s and turned Raymond Souplex and Jean Daurand into TV stars. Bourrel's catchphrase (« Bon Dieu, mais c'est bien sûr! ») entered the vernacular. The series was adapted in Germany under the title Dem Täter auf der Spur (1967-1973). Les Cinq Dernières Minutes switched from black and white to colour in 1971 and Dupuy was gradually phased out after Jean Daurand's health issues.

 

In September 1972, Raymond Souplex worked on the 56th episode, Un gros pépin dans le chasselas. The shooting was interrupted by the ORTF rolling strikes of October but the scenarios of two episodes, Les griffes de la colombe (Episode 57) and Fausse note, were ready (1) so the actor rehearsed the former on November 20. He died two days later from cancer, aged 71. Claude Loursais decided that Episode 56, completed thanks to script changes and editing, would be the last one (2). Nevertheless, four TV movies were tested between July 1974 and January 1975 (not in their production order) on the Deuxième chaîne and Antenne 2: Rouges sont les vendanges, Fausse note, Si ce n'est toi (formerly Les griffes de la colombe) and Le Coup de pouce. Those films, independent from Les Cinq Dernières Minutes though built on its "formula", introduced new detectives and the famous theme music by Marc Lanjean (3) was notably absent. 

Helmed by Claude Loursais, Si ce n'est toi was penned by Louis C. Thomas and Michel Lebrun. Like Fausse note it was written for Bourrel, that's why both scripts had to be revised. Two tramps, Mouton and Bébé Rose, save a young woman who thrown herself into La Seine. Mouton finds a key and visits a house where he discovers the dead body of a man stabbed with a cutlass. The place is the temple of the Colombier, a strange religious community, and the victim, Serge Montuget, one of its members. The no-nonsense Commissaire Lindet is baffled and asks for the assistance of Officier de police Ménardeau, an expert in religions. They come across Sylvie Bracieux, the young woman saved from suicide. Daughter of a banker, Sylvie is a member of the community and she was in love with Montuget. Lindet and Ménardeau learn that "Frère Serge" was far from leading an ascetic life.

Si ce n'est toi definitely suffered from the death of Raymond Souplex. Commissaire Lindet, played by Henri Lambert (Jean-Roch Coignet), is a poor substitute to Bourrel. Marc Eyraud is the Columbo-esque Ménardeau, "the guy who eats seeds" (says Lindet). The police officer is an antoinist, a member of a cult from Belgium. It's a pretext to show that the writers did their homeworks and some parts of his first conversation with Lindet sound weird today. Mouton and Bébé Rose are played by Hubert Deschamps and Jean-Pierre Rambal, two character actors appreciated by the public. Deschamps (Zazie dans le métro) steals the film with his cheekiness and some great dialogues. In 1977, Rambal starred in the charming comedy series La Lune papa. André Falcon (Bracieux) worked with Raymond Souplex on the rehearsals. Charles Millot (Les Barbouzes) plays "Le Maître", the guru of the Colombier community.

There's no original music, as often with ORTF. René Taquet is credited as the sound illustrator of Si ce n'est toi. He was an artistic director, a music producer who founded the Disques Magellan label (4) and a library music specialist. The soundtrack of the TV movie comes from his Patchwork catalogue. For instance, a theme called Secret derrière la porte composed in 1971 by Vladimir Cosma. Produced by Marc Chanal and Michèle Piétri. Cinematography by Albert Schimel. Video editing by Thérèse Sonntag. Film editing by Maryvonne Cuglière. Stunts by Michel Norman and Michèle Delacroix. Also with Marianne Eggerickx (Sylvie), Jean-Claude Jay (Frère Georges), Guy Bousquet (Frère Pierre), Jean-Pierre Andréani (Frère Serge), Wanda Woznica (Soeur Jeanne), Perrette Pradier (Léontine), Armand Mestral (Renoux), Pierre Duncan (Brigadier), Patrick Laval (Medical intern), Séverine Morizot, Bernard Musson, Nicole Evans...

Marc Eyraud returned as Ménardeau in Fausse note to the solve the case on his own and without his religious beliefs (never to be heard of again). Then, the likeable inspector became the deputy of Commissaire Le Carré (Christian Barbier) in Rouges sont les vendanges. The four TV movies are retrospectively considered as "La période intermédiaire" of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes. In 1974, Jacques Debary (Poker d'as) was announced  as the unnamed commissaire of Loursais' new (as yet untitled) mystery drama and that the shooting of its first episode had begun. This episode, called Le lièvre blanc aux oreilles noires, was aired by Antenne 2 on May 19, 1975 as part of... Les Cinq Dernières Minutes. Commissaire Broussard (Jacques Debary) had to be renamed Commissaire Cabrol because there was a real-life supercop named Broussard. Marc Eyraud came back again as Ménardeau in the following episode for an association with Cabrol which lasted until 1991.

 

Pierre Santini (Un juge, un flic) as Commissaire Julien Massard and Pierre Hoden (Inspecteur Antoine Barrier) were the final duo of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes from 1992 to 1996. Perrette Souplex, the daughter of Raymond Souplex, guest starred as Bourrel's daughter in a 1995 episode. The episodes of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes from 1958 to 1991 are available on Madelen, the streaming service of INA. Brigade des Mineurs, the 1977-1979 social drama series created by Claude Loursais and starring Jean Daurand as Commissaire Dupuy, is on Madelen too. 

 

(1) Michel Lebrun in Télé 7 Jours N°744 (July 27, 1974).

(2) Télé 7 Jours N°667 (February 3, 1973).

(3) Arsenic Blues, composed by Marc Lanjean for the movie La Peau de l'ours (1957). 

(4) https://dumas.ccsd.cnrs.fr/dumas-03434767

 

https://madelen.ina.fr/serie/les-cinq-dernieres-minutes-i-2583

https://madelen.ina.fr/serie/les-cinq-dernieres-minutes-ii-2621

https://madelen.ina.fr/serie/brigade-des-mineurs-2680

 

See also: 

 

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2024/06/rouges-sont-les-vendanges-ortf-1974.html

ROUGES SONT LES VENDANGES (ORTF, 1974)

Rouges sont les vendanges is a colour 107-minute French mystery TV movie produced by ORTF (Office de radiodiffusion-télévision française) and aired by its Deuxième chaîne on July 16, 1974.

 

It's also a very peculiar episode of the detective series Les Cinq Dernières Minutes (1958-1996).

Les Cinq Dernières Minutes is one of the first series in the History of French television. Created by journalist, director, scriptwriter and producer Claude Loursais, it was launched on January 1, 1958 on the only channel of RTF (Radiodiffusion Télévision Française), the predecessor of ORTF. Les Cinq Dernières Minutes went through several changes in three "eras" until France 2 shown its 149th episode on December 20, 1996. The first era (1958-1973) was penned by Loursais  — who helmed most of its episodes  — with Fred Kassak, Louis C. Thomas, Michel Lebrun, Maurice-Bernard Endrèbe, Henri Grangé, André Maheux, Jean Cosmos, etc. This version starred Raymond Souplex as the mustachioed and gruff Inspecteur/Commissaire Antoine Bourrel and Jean Daurand as Inspecteur Dupuy. Pierre Collet played Brigadier Coulomb. 

 

Originally, Les Cinq Dernières Minutes was a mystery gameshow aired live from the Buttes-Chaumont studios. Two selected viewers watched a whodunit, then the inspector asked them the solution and how to prove it with the possibility to watch again a couple of scenes. After Les Cinq Dernières Minutes dropped live broadcasting and the game format, the series explored different socio-professional environments in episodes shot in studio on video and on 16mm film for the locations (Paris, its suburbs and the regions). The popularity of the programme peaked in the 1960s-1970s and turned Raymond Souplex and Jean Daurand into TV stars. Bourrel's catchphrase (« Bon Dieu, mais c'est bien sûr! ») entered the vernacular. The series was adapted in Germany under the title Dem Täter auf der Spur (1967-1973). Les Cinq Dernières Minutes switched from black and white to colour in 1971.

 

Dupuy was gradually phased out of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes after Jean Daurand had health issues. In September 1972, Raymond Souplex worked on the 56th episode, Un gros pépin dans le chasselas. The shooting was interrupted by the ORTF rolling strikes of October but the scenarios of two episodes, Les griffes de la colombe and Fausse note, were ready (1) so the actor rehearsed the former on November 20. He died two days later from cancer, aged 71. Claude Loursais decided that Episode 56, finished thanks to script changes and editing, would be the last one (2). Nevertheless, four TV movies were tested between July 1974 and January 1975 (not in production order) on the Deuxième chaîne and Antenne 2: Rouges sont les vendanges, Fausse note, Si ce n'est toi (formerly Les griffes de la colombe) and Le Coup de pouce. Those films, independent from Les Cinq Dernières Minutes though built on its "formula", introduced new detectives and the famous theme music by Marc Lanjean (3) was notably absent. 

Directed by Claude Loursais, Rouges sont les vendanges (previously Les vignobles and Rouges vendanges) was masterfully crafted by Fred Kassak and Jean Cosmos. Jérôme Lebugue, the owner of a vineyard in Gironde, is about to marry Yvette Mussidan, a woman younger than him. Lebugue's former mistress is heartbroken, like his nephew who loves Yvette. When she's found dead on Lebugue's lands, Commissaire Le Carré and Inspecteur Ménardeau investigate. Le Carré wears a leather jacket and has a dog called Rougeole. He's played by Christian Barbier (La Horse, L'Armée des Ombres), who reached fame with the ORTF drama L'Homme du Picardie (1968). Rouges sont les vendanges is actually the third appearance of Marc Eyraud as the Columbo-esque Ménardeau. In Si ce n'est toi, the character was the colleague of Commissaire Lindet (Henri Lambert) and he solved the case on his own in Fausse note.

Rouges sont les vendanges is the best of the four films despite its length (Le Carré and Ménardeau arrive after 50 minutes). The both perfect Barbier and Eyraud lead a cast of quality, especially Paul Crauchet (Jérôme), Eva Damien (Françoise Lesponne), Michel Subor (Lucien Lesponne) and Jenny Arasse as Yvette. The TV movie was almost entirely shot in the city of Saint-Émilion, hence views of the Chapelle de la Trinité and Le Ban des Vendanges ceremony of the Jurade Brotherhood. « We shot between september and october 1973, during the grape harvest. We enjoyed some good wine, as you can imagine, Claude Loursais being a fine connoisseur. » remembers Jenny Arasse. There's no original music, as often for the ORTF productions. René Taquet is credited as the sound illustrator of Rouges sont les vendanges. He was an artistic director, a music producer who founded the Disques Magellan label (4) and a library music specialist.

Also starring Gérard Lartigau (Olivier Lebugue), Muse Dalbray (Edmée Lebugue), Victor Garrivier (Félix), Henri Virlojeux (Chalumeau), Maria Laborit (Marie Lesponne), Claude Confortès (Joseph), Jacques Serres, Bernard Freyd... Produced by Hélène Rambert and Serge Raggianti. Cinematography by Jean Limousin. Video editing by Christiane Coutel. Film editing by Marie-Hélène Lacroze. Le Carré and Rougeole did another one, Le coup de pouce (without Ménardeau) and Claude Loursais almost kept Christian Barbier but they didn't agree on the financial terms. The four TV movies are retrospectively considered as "La période intermédiaire" of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes. In 1974, Jacques Debary (Poker d'as) was announced  as the unnamed commissaire of Loursais' new (as yet untitled) mystery drama and that the shooting of its first episode had begun.

This episode, called Le lièvre blanc aux oreilles noires, was aired by Antenne 2 on May 19, 1975 as part of... Les Cinq Dernières Minutes. Commissaire Broussard (Jacques Debary) became Commissaire Cabrol because there was a real-life supercop named Broussard. Marc Eyraud returned as Ménardeau in the following episode for an association with Cabrol which lasted until 1991. Pierre Santini (Un juge, un flic) as Commissaire Julien Massard and Pierre Hoden (Inspecteur Antoine Barrier) were the final duo of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes from 1992 to 1996. Perrette Souplex, the daughter of Raymond Souplex, guest starred as Bourrel's daughter in a 1995 episode. The episodes of Les Cinq Dernières Minutes from 1958 to 1991 are available on Madelen, the streaming service of INA. Brigade des Mineurs, the 1977-1979 social drama series created by Claude Loursais and starring Jean Daurand as Commissaire Dupuy, is on Madelen too.

 

(1) Michel Lebrun in Télé 7 Jours N°744 (July 27, 1974).

(2) Télé 7 Jours N°667 (February 3, 1973).

(3) Arsenic Blues, composed by Marc Lanjean for the movie La Peau de l'ours (1957). 

(4) https://dumas.ccsd.cnrs.fr/dumas-03434767

 

Special thanks to Jenny Arasse.

 

https://madelen.ina.fr/serie/les-cinq-dernieres-minutes-i-2583

https://madelen.ina.fr/serie/les-cinq-dernieres-minutes-ii-2621

https://madelen.ina.fr/serie/brigade-des-mineurs-2680

https://www.jenny-arasse.fr/accueil.cfm/391094_jenny_arasse.html 

https://www.ina.fr/ina-eclaire-actu/video/i04236259/raymond-souplex-sur-le-succes-des-cinq-dernieres-minutes

 

See also: 

 

Muriel Favre - Enquête sur une émission légendaire de la télévision française: Les Cinq Dernières Minutes (1958-1973) in Vingtième Siècle. Revue d'histoire (Year 1997).

 

Jacques Baudou and Jean-Jacques Schléret - Meurtres en séries - Les séries policières de la télévision française (Huitième Art, 1990). 

MEURTRE EN SOURDINE (ORTF, 1967)

The beautiful wife of a rich man thinks her husband is a jealous murderer.

Meurtre en sourdine is a colour 90-minute mystery TV movie produced by ORTF (Office de radiodiffusion-télévision française) and aired by its Deuxième chaîne on November 18, 1967. Shot entirely in studio on video, this "dramatique policière" is set in a small US town. Ralph Barry, a literary agent, is shot dead by a mysterious stranger who accuses him of having an affair with a young woman named Kathleen. Daughter of a senator, she's married to the wealthy industrialist Paul Fisher. Paul's friends are convinced he killed Ralph by jealousy. Kathleen suspects him too, that's why she secretely hired private investigator Spencer Morton.

Meurtre en sourdine was broadcast by the Deuxième chaîne soon after the channel switched to colour (October 1, 1967) and the desire to promote the SECAM (1) colour process  is obviously perceptible. Director Gilbert Pineau, an experienced ORTF technician who even worked on news reports and cooking shows, helmed this studio-bound production recorded with a magnetoscope. Between 1963 and 1968, he directed several dramas starring his then-wife, Hungarian-born actress Anna Gaël, including Une femme sans importance. Recorded in 1966 and shown only two years later, this adaptation of Oscar Wilde's A Woman of No Importance was the second ORTF colour drama done on video and a colour selection test (2). For Meurtre en sourdine, Gilbert Pineau wrote the adaptation of a scenario penned by Jacques Gallois (3). Of course, Pineau cast Anna Gaël as Kathleen Fisher.

Kathleen is torn between her love for Paul and her doubts fuelled by the cynicism of her husband. Paul Fisher is played by the excellent François Guérin (Les yeux sans visage). Both were in Gilbert Pineau's Le jeu des vacances, aired on the Première chaîne in August 1967. Despite its undeniable technical performance, Meurtre en sourdine is heavied by the studio shooting. No effort was made to give an American touch to the very "16ème arrondissement" settings (apart from the lieutenant's office). The script unceremoniously gets rid of the P.I. played by Bernard Woringer (Angélique, marquise des anges) after 35 minutes. He's replaced by F.B.I. agent Wendell Glass (Daniel Ceccaldi), who's basically the same character. 

In Meurtre en sourdine, two well-known comic actors play serious roles: Paul Mercey (La Grande Vadrouille, Les Tontons flingueurs) as Lieutenant Walker and Pierre Doris (Walter Manson). Klémir, the maid, is performed by Moune de Rivel.  This singer, musician and actress was nicknamed "La Grande Dame de la Chanson Créole". Also with Eva Damien (Laura Wingate) Germaine Ledoyen (Vera Hardwich), Jacques Zabor (Ralph Barry), Catherine Rethi (Eve Polloch), Raymond Jourdan (Jim Polloch), Jacques Lalande (Stan Morley), etc. Anna Gaël divorced Gilbert Pineau and married an English lord in 1969. The rest of her acting resume includes Thérèse and Isabelle (1968), The Bridge at Remagen (1969), Zeta One (1969), episodes of The Persuaders! and Jason King, Karatekas and Co (ORTF, 1973) and Sweeney 2 (1978).

During the 1970s, Anna Gaël became journalist and war correspondent. She wrote two novels, La guerre est plutôt malsaine pour les enfants (1983) and Il fait beau à n'y pas croire (1986). Gilbert Pineau is the author of a crime novel called Le déclic (1970). Later, he worked in Brazil for TV Globo before returning to France (4). Produced by Marc Gauthey. Cinematography by André Villard. Production designed by Raymond Nègre with Jean Tridon. Video editing by Marie-José Quinet. Sound illustration by Léon Nerville. Meurtre en sourdine is available on Madelen, the streaming service of INA.

 

https://madelen.ina.fr/content/meurtre-en-sourdine-69703?locale=fr

(1) Séquentiel couleur à mémoire.

(2) Le Monde, April 26, 1968.

(3) This is the only writing credit of Jacques Gallois.

(4) Bulletin SJPP N°40, September 2012.