64 reviews
The jewel thief of the Casbah
murky, but grand
Back in the Casbah
It was made just one year after Duvivier's classic ,which even Godard (Godard!)mentioned in his "Pierrot LE Fou".Although I hate God'Art about as much as I love Duvivier,I must admit that a film that can transcend the New Wavelet's contempt possesses something magic a la "Casablanca" .
I was skeptical about the lead:aristocratic Charles Boyer replacing plebeian Gabin?I was wrong :Boyer,who began his career in France after all ,was up to scratch.And I 'd go as far as to write that Hedy Lamarr is much more attractive than Mireille Balin in the original.
All that remains is faithful like a dog: except for the scene when an old singer (Frehel) bursting into tears when she hears one of her old recordings,all the important sequences were kept.Cromwell's directing is efficient ,although it never recaptures the intensity (and the director's pessimism) of its model ,is a good film one can recommend to people who cannot get "Pepe Le Moko" .
Objections: the scene of Pierrot 's letter and the punishment of the informer is much too long and lacks suspense.Biggest gaffe is this ditty ("C'est La Vie" ) which Boyer sings and which seems out of a musical :in what is primarily a film noir,it's thoroughly incongruous.
Many of the great lines of the French classic can be heard ,notably the famous "I'm an informer,I'm not a hypocrite",and the Boyer/Lamarr pairing displays a special chemistry .The black and white makes a good use of shadows and lights.
If all the remakes were made with care like this one.....
I was skeptical about the lead:aristocratic Charles Boyer replacing plebeian Gabin?I was wrong :Boyer,who began his career in France after all ,was up to scratch.And I 'd go as far as to write that Hedy Lamarr is much more attractive than Mireille Balin in the original.
All that remains is faithful like a dog: except for the scene when an old singer (Frehel) bursting into tears when she hears one of her old recordings,all the important sequences were kept.Cromwell's directing is efficient ,although it never recaptures the intensity (and the director's pessimism) of its model ,is a good film one can recommend to people who cannot get "Pepe Le Moko" .
Objections: the scene of Pierrot 's letter and the punishment of the informer is much too long and lacks suspense.Biggest gaffe is this ditty ("C'est La Vie" ) which Boyer sings and which seems out of a musical :in what is primarily a film noir,it's thoroughly incongruous.
Many of the great lines of the French classic can be heard ,notably the famous "I'm an informer,I'm not a hypocrite",and the Boyer/Lamarr pairing displays a special chemistry .The black and white makes a good use of shadows and lights.
If all the remakes were made with care like this one.....
- dbdumonteil
- Aug 30, 2008
- Permalink
Boyer and Lamarr trouble in paradise
Satisfying, exotic American version of the French film "Pepe Le Moko" (which, I've heard, was distributed here in the U.S. under its French title, which means Pepe the Pimp, unbeknowest to the censors). Boyer leads the right star performance and Lamarr gets her ingenue role as the girl he loves but can't see outside of the Casbah. When the police try to arrest Pepe in the Casbah, he quickly disappears and they receive no cooperation from the locals. To lure him out of that district's confines, the cops set up a trap using the unknowing Lamarr as bait. their sad, brief romance ends, presumably, with his incarceration. Similar in plot, but not in tone, to contemporary "gangster" flicks.
Lamarr's first American film
No, Charles Boyer never said, "Take me to the Casbah." That is just as false as "Play it again, Sam," a line from a film that will come to mind when watching this one.
Boyer (Conquest, Fanny, Gaslight) picked up his second Oscar nomination for this film. He plays a jewel thief that has found a haven in the Casbah in French Algiers. He has a hot girlfriend in Sigrid Gurie, but he sees Hedy Lamarr and it is all over. he falls head over heels and spends languid afternoon reminiscing about a Paris that he can never see again.
Director John Cromwell, who had his career ruined by McCarthy fascist in the 50s, did a very good job of presenting the excitement of the Casbah and the attempts by the French police to trap Boyer. He was ably assisted by the sets decorated by Alexander Toluboff (Stagecoach, Vogues of 1938) and the cinematography of James Wong Howe (The Rose Tattoo, Hud), who along with Toluboff received an Oscar nomination for this film, the first of ten in his career.
Just like Kong, it wasn't man, but beauty killed the beast. In this case, the beauty of Hedy Lamarr proved to be the death of Boyer in an ending that will again remind one of Casablanca.
Boyer (Conquest, Fanny, Gaslight) picked up his second Oscar nomination for this film. He plays a jewel thief that has found a haven in the Casbah in French Algiers. He has a hot girlfriend in Sigrid Gurie, but he sees Hedy Lamarr and it is all over. he falls head over heels and spends languid afternoon reminiscing about a Paris that he can never see again.
Director John Cromwell, who had his career ruined by McCarthy fascist in the 50s, did a very good job of presenting the excitement of the Casbah and the attempts by the French police to trap Boyer. He was ably assisted by the sets decorated by Alexander Toluboff (Stagecoach, Vogues of 1938) and the cinematography of James Wong Howe (The Rose Tattoo, Hud), who along with Toluboff received an Oscar nomination for this film, the first of ten in his career.
Just like Kong, it wasn't man, but beauty killed the beast. In this case, the beauty of Hedy Lamarr proved to be the death of Boyer in an ending that will again remind one of Casablanca.
- lastliberal
- Apr 3, 2008
- Permalink
Great FILM !
Good Atmospheric Drama
Though "Algiers" is not so well-remembered today, it's not hard to see why it was quite popular in its time. It's a good atmospheric drama that makes you feel as if you were part of the story, and it also has a good cast and interesting characters. The story is told well, and most of the time it moves at a good pace.
The atmosphere of the 'Casbah' is set up nicely from the beginning. The opening scene, as the police discuss how they might catch the notorious Pepe Le Moko, is very efficient in describing the city and its peculiarities, and it is a good prologue to the story that follows. As it progresses, there are a lot of interesting details with some good photography that bring everything to life. Boyer and Lamarr are pretty good as the leads, although the supporting cast and characters are least as important to making everything work. It has several fine character actors such as Gene Lockhart, Alan Hale, Joseph Calleia, and Paul Harvey, who all play interesting roles.
Aside from a couple of slow spots and perhaps a few minor signs of age, this is an entertaining drama that is well worth tracking down for anyone who enjoys classic cinema.
The atmosphere of the 'Casbah' is set up nicely from the beginning. The opening scene, as the police discuss how they might catch the notorious Pepe Le Moko, is very efficient in describing the city and its peculiarities, and it is a good prologue to the story that follows. As it progresses, there are a lot of interesting details with some good photography that bring everything to life. Boyer and Lamarr are pretty good as the leads, although the supporting cast and characters are least as important to making everything work. It has several fine character actors such as Gene Lockhart, Alan Hale, Joseph Calleia, and Paul Harvey, who all play interesting roles.
Aside from a couple of slow spots and perhaps a few minor signs of age, this is an entertaining drama that is well worth tracking down for anyone who enjoys classic cinema.
- Snow Leopard
- Apr 10, 2002
- Permalink
A smoky encounter
While John Cromwell's Hollywood remake of Julien Duvivier's 'Pepe le Moko' from the year before is evidently the lesser film, still it has its share of artistic success. Cameraman James Wong Howe establishes a shifty, exotically attractive and morally uncertain milieu out of the casbah, the sordid urban jungle that is a city unto itself in the center of Algiers.
This is where the outcasts live, from all over the world, criminals, prostitutes, go-getters. French jewel thief Pepe lives here too, in exile but surrounded by good, loyal friends of every ethnic persuasion. Here he makes quick escapes over the rooftops and everybody protects him. The police has futile dreams of luring him out of the casbah where they can get to him, and maybe a visiting Parisian siren can be of help? Cromwell's version is very faithful to the original French film, and in every instance that I could think of is it inferior. But Howe's refined cinematography, the lighting and, most of all, Charles Boyer all make this a worthwhile watching experience. He is suave and magnetic, his accent intoxicating, and the scenes between him and the sultry Hedy Lamarr are cinema history, their meeting in the sleazy club where long, lingering closeups show the way he impresses himself on her, and this is one extremely sexy, even smoky encounter.
So, watch it, and then do yourself the favor of looking up Julien Duvivier's film, a vastly better one.
This is where the outcasts live, from all over the world, criminals, prostitutes, go-getters. French jewel thief Pepe lives here too, in exile but surrounded by good, loyal friends of every ethnic persuasion. Here he makes quick escapes over the rooftops and everybody protects him. The police has futile dreams of luring him out of the casbah where they can get to him, and maybe a visiting Parisian siren can be of help? Cromwell's version is very faithful to the original French film, and in every instance that I could think of is it inferior. But Howe's refined cinematography, the lighting and, most of all, Charles Boyer all make this a worthwhile watching experience. He is suave and magnetic, his accent intoxicating, and the scenes between him and the sultry Hedy Lamarr are cinema history, their meeting in the sleazy club where long, lingering closeups show the way he impresses himself on her, and this is one extremely sexy, even smoky encounter.
So, watch it, and then do yourself the favor of looking up Julien Duvivier's film, a vastly better one.
Clouded by intrigue, aglow with ill-starred romance
I've seen this film countless times on tv, usually in the 1 a.m. time slot. Am always fascinated by it somehow. There's such an authentic atmosphere of the locale, very suspicious characters, intrigue and suspense both indoors and on the streets.
The suave Charles Boyer (as Pepe, the thief) certainly grips one's attention while he becomes more mired in the plot as it unfolds. Hedy Lamarr lights up the screen with her glowing beauty, one forgets she's supposed to be acting, but is that important? Of course not. I can't imagine the story having her engaged to marry an elderly wide-girthed fellow; my goodness, for her anything's better than that! There's a youngish Leonid Kinskey also appearing as a supporting actor, along with reliable Alan Hale (formerly Robin Hood's buddy, more or less) and Gene Lockhart, whom I've never seen in such a serious role as this one.
It's a movie that stands the test of time.
The suave Charles Boyer (as Pepe, the thief) certainly grips one's attention while he becomes more mired in the plot as it unfolds. Hedy Lamarr lights up the screen with her glowing beauty, one forgets she's supposed to be acting, but is that important? Of course not. I can't imagine the story having her engaged to marry an elderly wide-girthed fellow; my goodness, for her anything's better than that! There's a youngish Leonid Kinskey also appearing as a supporting actor, along with reliable Alan Hale (formerly Robin Hood's buddy, more or less) and Gene Lockhart, whom I've never seen in such a serious role as this one.
It's a movie that stands the test of time.
Great visuals, great setting, awkward writing, and some uneven acting...a mixed bag!
Algiers (1938)
Take the teaming alleys of the old town of Algiers in North Africa, cramped and multi-national, filled with intentional mystery, and you have the basis of a great movie. A great, exciting, unique, visually gorgeous one.
And it delivers on some of those scores. But why is it also a bit clumsy and forced all he way through? Two main reasons, I think. First, some of the secondary characters are comic caricatures (like Gene Lockhart), and as if to confirm this, they are given some silly lines as well. Second, the direction, under John Cromwell, which is clumsy and patchwork. Some of the most ordinary lines are delivered with avoidable awkwardness. I don't think Charles Boyer is a very convincing Arab kingpin, nor is the chief policeman from Paris a bit believable. All of this stacks the movie against its terrific setting.
The highlight might actually be the simplest to understand--the photography by the great cameraman James Wong Howe. Right behind, but most accounts, is the presence of Hedy Lamarr as a kind of sophisticated femme fatale, bejeweled and bewitching. At least from the point of view of Boyer, who at one point is transfixed by her bracelet, her pearls, and her smile, in that order. The sure sign of a doomed man.
The drama does become more intense, and both the police pressure and the crossed lovers percolate a bit. Boyer remains perplexing as the leading man, as if always aware he's the leading man more intent on being charming (in that 1930s French way) than playing the part of a supposed boss. And just wait for the scene where he breaks into song and everyone comes around to listen. Good thing the photography never relents--you can watch the movie for the visuals alone.
I'm not sure what gives this movie its reputation, but I'll throw up a red flag against it. The exotic local, the mix of nationalities, the odd assortment of actors, and the central romance might make seem to presage Casablanca (in those ways) but the comparison ends there. Don't be discouraged by the first twenty minutes, which is the weakest part. By the end the mood has changed enough to work.
If you're wondering, this is a low budget production from Walter Wanger, a year before he produced John Ford's "Stagecoach." And the filming occurred in Algiers itself, which is part of the interest. Give it whirl. Try to find a sharper version than the lousy one Netflix streams.
Take the teaming alleys of the old town of Algiers in North Africa, cramped and multi-national, filled with intentional mystery, and you have the basis of a great movie. A great, exciting, unique, visually gorgeous one.
And it delivers on some of those scores. But why is it also a bit clumsy and forced all he way through? Two main reasons, I think. First, some of the secondary characters are comic caricatures (like Gene Lockhart), and as if to confirm this, they are given some silly lines as well. Second, the direction, under John Cromwell, which is clumsy and patchwork. Some of the most ordinary lines are delivered with avoidable awkwardness. I don't think Charles Boyer is a very convincing Arab kingpin, nor is the chief policeman from Paris a bit believable. All of this stacks the movie against its terrific setting.
The highlight might actually be the simplest to understand--the photography by the great cameraman James Wong Howe. Right behind, but most accounts, is the presence of Hedy Lamarr as a kind of sophisticated femme fatale, bejeweled and bewitching. At least from the point of view of Boyer, who at one point is transfixed by her bracelet, her pearls, and her smile, in that order. The sure sign of a doomed man.
The drama does become more intense, and both the police pressure and the crossed lovers percolate a bit. Boyer remains perplexing as the leading man, as if always aware he's the leading man more intent on being charming (in that 1930s French way) than playing the part of a supposed boss. And just wait for the scene where he breaks into song and everyone comes around to listen. Good thing the photography never relents--you can watch the movie for the visuals alone.
I'm not sure what gives this movie its reputation, but I'll throw up a red flag against it. The exotic local, the mix of nationalities, the odd assortment of actors, and the central romance might make seem to presage Casablanca (in those ways) but the comparison ends there. Don't be discouraged by the first twenty minutes, which is the weakest part. By the end the mood has changed enough to work.
If you're wondering, this is a low budget production from Walter Wanger, a year before he produced John Ford's "Stagecoach." And the filming occurred in Algiers itself, which is part of the interest. Give it whirl. Try to find a sharper version than the lousy one Netflix streams.
- secondtake
- Mar 22, 2012
- Permalink
A study in cultural translation
- richard-1787
- Jun 2, 2008
- Permalink
Could Gabin Have Been Better?
The tragic account of Pepe Le Moko having been filmed in France the year before with Jean Gabin as the star must have really impressed producer Walter Wanger. It's not often that a remake is made only a year later.
Jean Gabin who has been compared to Humphrey Bogart certainly would have brought a different style of Pepe Le Moko. But this film did wonders for Charles Boyer in establishing him among the first rank of American film stars.
His Pepe is suave, cunning, and deadly. Unfortunately while hanging out in the forbidden section of French Algiers known as the Casbah, Pepe has sort of built his own prison in that section. He cannot leave because the French police will grab him and a whole bunch of countries are getting in line with the French Foreign office to deport to face a slew of crimes. But in the Casbah he's untouchable as the visiting French prefect Paul Harvey finds out.
Joseph Calleia as Inspector Slimane knows the only way to capture him is to lure him out of his shelter. And the bait for that walks in with a visiting tourist from Paris played by Hedy Lamarr.
Hedy Lamarr was under contract to MGM having been brought over by Louis B. Mayer after her scandalous nude scene in the Austrian film Ecstacy. But MGM couldn't find anything for her to do, so she stayed idle drawing her weekly paycheck while a suitable property was found.
Boyer met Lamarr at a party according to The Films of Hedy Lamarr Citadel Press Series book and was taken with her. He told Walter Wanger and Wanger worked out a deal with Mayer that they could have Lamarr if Boyer did an MGM film. The one he did was Conquest with Greta Garbo. Seems to have worked out all around.
There's a lot of debate as to how good an actress Lamarr was. And in the right circumstances she could give a decent performance. The right circumstances was definitely Algiers where Boyer knew that the woman who could stir him from his safety net had to be one extraordinarily beautiful woman. No one ever questioned that about Lamarr. Algiers launched her career for American audiences with a blowout performance.
Charles Boyer was nominated for Best Actor as Pepe, but lost to Spencer Tracy in Boys Town. And Gene Lockhart as the treacherous Regis got a nod for Best Supporting Actor, but he was beaten out by Walter Brennan in Kentucky.
What's even more extraordinary is that Director John Cromwell did a magnificent job in capturing the mood and ambiance of Algiers. A few establishing newsreel shots and great sets and you would think this was done on location.
There was a third film version of Pepe Le Moko's story with Casbah starring Tony Martin. It was a musical version that fell short of establishing Martin as a big screen draw, but the songs were some of his best selling records.
Still though Boyer does a fabulous job as Pepe, though I would some day like to see Jean Gabin's version for comparison.
Jean Gabin who has been compared to Humphrey Bogart certainly would have brought a different style of Pepe Le Moko. But this film did wonders for Charles Boyer in establishing him among the first rank of American film stars.
His Pepe is suave, cunning, and deadly. Unfortunately while hanging out in the forbidden section of French Algiers known as the Casbah, Pepe has sort of built his own prison in that section. He cannot leave because the French police will grab him and a whole bunch of countries are getting in line with the French Foreign office to deport to face a slew of crimes. But in the Casbah he's untouchable as the visiting French prefect Paul Harvey finds out.
Joseph Calleia as Inspector Slimane knows the only way to capture him is to lure him out of his shelter. And the bait for that walks in with a visiting tourist from Paris played by Hedy Lamarr.
Hedy Lamarr was under contract to MGM having been brought over by Louis B. Mayer after her scandalous nude scene in the Austrian film Ecstacy. But MGM couldn't find anything for her to do, so she stayed idle drawing her weekly paycheck while a suitable property was found.
Boyer met Lamarr at a party according to The Films of Hedy Lamarr Citadel Press Series book and was taken with her. He told Walter Wanger and Wanger worked out a deal with Mayer that they could have Lamarr if Boyer did an MGM film. The one he did was Conquest with Greta Garbo. Seems to have worked out all around.
There's a lot of debate as to how good an actress Lamarr was. And in the right circumstances she could give a decent performance. The right circumstances was definitely Algiers where Boyer knew that the woman who could stir him from his safety net had to be one extraordinarily beautiful woman. No one ever questioned that about Lamarr. Algiers launched her career for American audiences with a blowout performance.
Charles Boyer was nominated for Best Actor as Pepe, but lost to Spencer Tracy in Boys Town. And Gene Lockhart as the treacherous Regis got a nod for Best Supporting Actor, but he was beaten out by Walter Brennan in Kentucky.
What's even more extraordinary is that Director John Cromwell did a magnificent job in capturing the mood and ambiance of Algiers. A few establishing newsreel shots and great sets and you would think this was done on location.
There was a third film version of Pepe Le Moko's story with Casbah starring Tony Martin. It was a musical version that fell short of establishing Martin as a big screen draw, but the songs were some of his best selling records.
Still though Boyer does a fabulous job as Pepe, though I would some day like to see Jean Gabin's version for comparison.
- bkoganbing
- Jan 14, 2007
- Permalink
Cinematically Important
The benchmark performance in the stereotyping of Charles Boyer. I had never seen the film before and didn't realize that like "Play it again, Sam," he never utters the line "Come with me to the Casbah." I'm glad I saw it for Boyer's performance which is quite well sustained. He is truly a cad. He is truly a prisoner. Because of his success as a jewel thief, he can never leave the Casbah. The police play a waiting game. It's that old respect thing where he becomes the object of their searches and always manages to get away; his legend is greater than his being. However, it always gets us in the end, doesn't it? There are some nice performances and I always like films set in those desert cultures of the thirties and forties. I'm glad I saw it because it filled a hole in my movie knowledge.
If You Ever Wondered Why Casablanca Is A Classic . . .
ALGIERS is just like Casablanca -- only slower, sleazier, sadder.
I realize this movie came first, but it's like every single ingredient was copied -- and improved on -- by the team of screenwriters who hammered together CASABLANCA a few years later.
1.) Cynical, Shady Hero. Check. Except that Pepe LeMoko is just a crook. There's no hint of courage or self-sacrifice in his past. Also he sings a love song while polishing his shoes. I wanted to shove him right off the balcony!
2.) Innocent, High-Class Heroine. Check. Except that Gabrielle in ALGIERS isn't really innocent. She's not truly in love with a distinguished freedom fighter, she's marrying a fat, disgusting slob for money. But at least she looks good in diamonds and jewels!
3.) Corrupt, Lovable Police Inspector Who Secretly Admires the Hero. Check. Except Claude Rains in CASABLANCA plays his part like he's having the time of his life -- like it's FUN to be a corrupt cop. And you sense how much he loves Rick, even when Rick is pointing a gun straight at his heart. ("That is my least vulnerable spot.") The guy in ALGIERS is okay, but he looks so sad and depressed all the time. It's almost like he knows how the movie is going to end!
4.) Slutty Bad Girl Who Clings To The Hero. Check. Except in ALGIERS the local girl who's crazy about Pepe is actually tougher, braver, classier, and more loyal than the heroine! And that kind of shoots the main love story right in the foot, don't you think?
5.) A Colorful Supporting Cast Made Up Of The Usual Suspects. Check. Except that Pepe's gang are all wildly miscast (Alan "Little John" Hale as a sleazy Middle Eastern merchant? I bet the Sheriff of Nottingham thought that one up!) And then there's Stanley Fields (still looking for the Island of Dr. Moreau) and a couple of random guys. These people are just, well, creepy. Oh, and watch when they torture the stool pigeon to death for about TEN MINUTES! Great stuff, if you're watching a Cagney movie, but this is a love story. Isn't it? Isn't it?
6.) Bittersweet Tragic Ending Where Our Hero Doesn't Get The Girl. Check. Except that running after an ocean liner just looks stupid. Watching a plane take off is classy. I don't know if anyone even realized just how funny it was when Pepe was bolting down the dock screaming like a banshee -- and then gibbering like an idiot. And what were Pepe's last words? Here's looking at you, kid? We'll always have Paris? No, I think Pepe was saying, let's get it right next time!
I realize this movie came first, but it's like every single ingredient was copied -- and improved on -- by the team of screenwriters who hammered together CASABLANCA a few years later.
1.) Cynical, Shady Hero. Check. Except that Pepe LeMoko is just a crook. There's no hint of courage or self-sacrifice in his past. Also he sings a love song while polishing his shoes. I wanted to shove him right off the balcony!
2.) Innocent, High-Class Heroine. Check. Except that Gabrielle in ALGIERS isn't really innocent. She's not truly in love with a distinguished freedom fighter, she's marrying a fat, disgusting slob for money. But at least she looks good in diamonds and jewels!
3.) Corrupt, Lovable Police Inspector Who Secretly Admires the Hero. Check. Except Claude Rains in CASABLANCA plays his part like he's having the time of his life -- like it's FUN to be a corrupt cop. And you sense how much he loves Rick, even when Rick is pointing a gun straight at his heart. ("That is my least vulnerable spot.") The guy in ALGIERS is okay, but he looks so sad and depressed all the time. It's almost like he knows how the movie is going to end!
4.) Slutty Bad Girl Who Clings To The Hero. Check. Except in ALGIERS the local girl who's crazy about Pepe is actually tougher, braver, classier, and more loyal than the heroine! And that kind of shoots the main love story right in the foot, don't you think?
5.) A Colorful Supporting Cast Made Up Of The Usual Suspects. Check. Except that Pepe's gang are all wildly miscast (Alan "Little John" Hale as a sleazy Middle Eastern merchant? I bet the Sheriff of Nottingham thought that one up!) And then there's Stanley Fields (still looking for the Island of Dr. Moreau) and a couple of random guys. These people are just, well, creepy. Oh, and watch when they torture the stool pigeon to death for about TEN MINUTES! Great stuff, if you're watching a Cagney movie, but this is a love story. Isn't it? Isn't it?
6.) Bittersweet Tragic Ending Where Our Hero Doesn't Get The Girl. Check. Except that running after an ocean liner just looks stupid. Watching a plane take off is classy. I don't know if anyone even realized just how funny it was when Pepe was bolting down the dock screaming like a banshee -- and then gibbering like an idiot. And what were Pepe's last words? Here's looking at you, kid? We'll always have Paris? No, I think Pepe was saying, let's get it right next time!
- Dan1863Sickles
- Dec 24, 2013
- Permalink
Come Wiz Me to Zee Casbah
Boyer doesn't actually say that, of course -- in fact, he never LEAVES the Casbah, so how could he -- but it's the general idea. I'm told this independently-produced Hollywood classic is almost a shot-for-shot remake of Duvivier's "Pepe Le Moko," from the previous year; I've never seen that one, but it's hard to believe Duvivier could have matched John Cromwell's fabulous production design, combining skillful backlot compositions with second-unit location projections, or the moody James Wong Howe photography, with the sweeping tracking shots capturing life in every corner.
The story may be no more than standard romantic hokum, but whether the filmmakers intended it or not, the movie has a wonderful existential melancholy, with Boyer's heavy eyelids viewing the world impassively, accepting his fate unquestioningly. Add to that a fine rogue's gallery of character actors (especially nice work from Gene Lockhart and Alan Hale), and you have brilliant Hollywood escapism. The judicious, sparing use of music (unusual in those Max Steiner days of underline-everything-with-a-melody) adds to the atmosphere. And it matters not a whit that Hedy Lamarr is not much of an actress here, or that every plot turn is utterly predictable.
The story may be no more than standard romantic hokum, but whether the filmmakers intended it or not, the movie has a wonderful existential melancholy, with Boyer's heavy eyelids viewing the world impassively, accepting his fate unquestioningly. Add to that a fine rogue's gallery of character actors (especially nice work from Gene Lockhart and Alan Hale), and you have brilliant Hollywood escapism. The judicious, sparing use of music (unusual in those Max Steiner days of underline-everything-with-a-melody) adds to the atmosphere. And it matters not a whit that Hedy Lamarr is not much of an actress here, or that every plot turn is utterly predictable.
So much like the original French film, why not watch that one instead!?
- planktonrules
- Dec 19, 2006
- Permalink
Charles Boyer as Casbah-Nova...
I've seen remakes before but the case of "Algiers" doesn't quite make sense, even with objective Hollywood terms taken into reasonable consideration, why would anyone remake a classic French film one year after its release. Granted dubbing didn't prevail back then but why they just didn't release the French original? In 1937, Renoir made "Grand Illusion", one year later, it became the first foreign movie nominated for Best Picture, why was Julien Duvivier's classic not given the same treatment, especially since the film was a classic that ended up inspiring one of the most classic American movie of all time and Best Picture winner of 1943 "Casablanca".
"Algiers" is so similar in every single frame that you just have to read my review of "Pépé le Moko" to know the story the hell with my review, just watch the original movie. The film that starred Jean Gabin and Mireille Balin was both the French equivalent and precursor to "Casablanca" even in the way the protagonists where all embittered and somewhat lost souls driven by nostalgia and overwhelming circumstances not to mention some legal matters, and it's ultimately nostalgia from Paris that let poor Pepe lower his guard and get in trouble, that and a handful of betrayals. But nostalgia or not, I'm sorry but I couldn't buy English speaking Charles Boyer as a street-smart Parisian, which is silly since the actor is French.
His accent enhanced my suspension of disbelief, I remembered Boyer playing another grand French figure like Raimu's "César" and to the actor's credit, his performances are never impressions but personal takes on characters that shine on their own without stealing anyone's thunder. I like even Boyer in "Algiers" but let's accept it as a fact that Hedy Lamarr could never pass as a Parisian in the role played by her superior counterpart Mireille Balin, it's good enough that she could pass as a decent actress. I didn't see many Lamarr's movie but after watching her, I couldn't see what the fuss was all about. But I wouldn't say she was the main cause for my lack of interest toward the film.
I couldn't possibly take "Algiers" seriously because every shot, every moment was a replay of the original, and while there's nothing to blame on most of the cast, everyone from the squealer (Gene Lockhart) to the suave fez-wearing detective (Joseph Calleia) does justice to their parts but it was still the parts as they were played by the French actors, on that level, maybe "Algiers" is a masterpiece of 'recreation'. And I suspect the riveting opening montage was borrowed from "Pepe le Moko" because I liked the part so much I watched it again and I remembered the whole sequence. Too many déja vu to use a fitting French term and yet, they didn't even use much of the character originally played by singer Frehel.
I enjoyed "Algiers" as far as Boyer could carry the enjoyment alone and as long as I could see Paris in his eyes, his accent and his marvelous singing of "C'est la Vie!" but when Hollywood tries too much to imitate classics, I'd rather care for the classics. French 30's movies were a step ahead of other movies and without spoiling any of the two movies, let's just say that there was one aspect that "Algiers" couldn't replicate, it's the ending. Hays Code struck again, and it's a shame. The ending is still powerful enough but only as a culmination of that particular story, any five minutes from the French film are better than the climax of "Algiers".
Still, you'll never read me saying this movie shouldn't have been made. It should have, for one simple reason: Boyer's loving tirade introduces his French lover image and the iconic tirade imitated by Tom in the "Tom and Jerry" cartoon (ah you set my soul on fire) and Pepe le Moko inspired naturally Pepe le Pew, if only for these tiny bits of legacies, "Algiers" was a huge gift for the world of entertainment. The rest of the film is forgettable, it's sad but like Boyer would say c'est la vie!
"Algiers" is so similar in every single frame that you just have to read my review of "Pépé le Moko" to know the story the hell with my review, just watch the original movie. The film that starred Jean Gabin and Mireille Balin was both the French equivalent and precursor to "Casablanca" even in the way the protagonists where all embittered and somewhat lost souls driven by nostalgia and overwhelming circumstances not to mention some legal matters, and it's ultimately nostalgia from Paris that let poor Pepe lower his guard and get in trouble, that and a handful of betrayals. But nostalgia or not, I'm sorry but I couldn't buy English speaking Charles Boyer as a street-smart Parisian, which is silly since the actor is French.
His accent enhanced my suspension of disbelief, I remembered Boyer playing another grand French figure like Raimu's "César" and to the actor's credit, his performances are never impressions but personal takes on characters that shine on their own without stealing anyone's thunder. I like even Boyer in "Algiers" but let's accept it as a fact that Hedy Lamarr could never pass as a Parisian in the role played by her superior counterpart Mireille Balin, it's good enough that she could pass as a decent actress. I didn't see many Lamarr's movie but after watching her, I couldn't see what the fuss was all about. But I wouldn't say she was the main cause for my lack of interest toward the film.
I couldn't possibly take "Algiers" seriously because every shot, every moment was a replay of the original, and while there's nothing to blame on most of the cast, everyone from the squealer (Gene Lockhart) to the suave fez-wearing detective (Joseph Calleia) does justice to their parts but it was still the parts as they were played by the French actors, on that level, maybe "Algiers" is a masterpiece of 'recreation'. And I suspect the riveting opening montage was borrowed from "Pepe le Moko" because I liked the part so much I watched it again and I remembered the whole sequence. Too many déja vu to use a fitting French term and yet, they didn't even use much of the character originally played by singer Frehel.
I enjoyed "Algiers" as far as Boyer could carry the enjoyment alone and as long as I could see Paris in his eyes, his accent and his marvelous singing of "C'est la Vie!" but when Hollywood tries too much to imitate classics, I'd rather care for the classics. French 30's movies were a step ahead of other movies and without spoiling any of the two movies, let's just say that there was one aspect that "Algiers" couldn't replicate, it's the ending. Hays Code struck again, and it's a shame. The ending is still powerful enough but only as a culmination of that particular story, any five minutes from the French film are better than the climax of "Algiers".
Still, you'll never read me saying this movie shouldn't have been made. It should have, for one simple reason: Boyer's loving tirade introduces his French lover image and the iconic tirade imitated by Tom in the "Tom and Jerry" cartoon (ah you set my soul on fire) and Pepe le Moko inspired naturally Pepe le Pew, if only for these tiny bits of legacies, "Algiers" was a huge gift for the world of entertainment. The rest of the film is forgettable, it's sad but like Boyer would say c'est la vie!
- ElMaruecan82
- Sep 27, 2017
- Permalink
Pepe le Moko Comes Out.
- rmax304823
- Dec 21, 2015
- Permalink
introducing Hedy Lamarr
Pepe Le Moko (Charles Boyer) is a thief hiding from the French authorities in the murky underworld of Algiers' Casbah. It's impossible to find him and his stolen jewels in the narrow passages of the Casbah. He falls for beautiful Parisian Gaby (Hedy Lamarr) and he yearns to return to the open boulevards of Paris with her enraging his jealous Gypsy mistress Ines.
It's the American film debut of Hedy Lamarr. She had caused a sensation with her nude breakthrough film in Europe. Here she shows her beauty with a touch of class. Charles Boyer has a great coolness. The movie opens with a terrific montage of the real Casbah with its real inhabitants. It may be impossible but I do wish that the actors to actually be filmed in the Casbah. The artificial studio set does take away from the exotic feel. Nevertheless, there is some inventive camera work. This is a forgotten classic overshadowed by later icon Casablanca.
It's the American film debut of Hedy Lamarr. She had caused a sensation with her nude breakthrough film in Europe. Here she shows her beauty with a touch of class. Charles Boyer has a great coolness. The movie opens with a terrific montage of the real Casbah with its real inhabitants. It may be impossible but I do wish that the actors to actually be filmed in the Casbah. The artificial studio set does take away from the exotic feel. Nevertheless, there is some inventive camera work. This is a forgotten classic overshadowed by later icon Casablanca.
- SnoopyStyle
- Nov 8, 2018
- Permalink
a stunning film on many different levels
Algiers is stunning film on many different levels that carries an unusual originality for the time period. The romantic chemistry between Hedy Lamarr(Gaby) Charles Boyer(Pepe)is perhaps one of the movie's most fascinating and unusual aspects. But what really makes things shine is the brilliant black and white cinematography of James Wong Howe.
There are also many different one liners and camera shots in this film that have become famous over the years and it's fun just looking for things that you've heard or seen before. I'm not sure how much Warner Brother's cartoons based their stinky skunk (Pepe le Pew) on Charles Boyer's character Pepe le Moko but there has be some correlation.
Anyway, Algiers is a grand piece of entertainment well worth the watching.
There are also many different one liners and camera shots in this film that have become famous over the years and it's fun just looking for things that you've heard or seen before. I'm not sure how much Warner Brother's cartoons based their stinky skunk (Pepe le Pew) on Charles Boyer's character Pepe le Moko but there has be some correlation.
Anyway, Algiers is a grand piece of entertainment well worth the watching.
- davidjaussi
- Feb 25, 2006
- Permalink
Atmosphere to Spare
"Algiers" is one of those exotic foreign intrigue movies so popular throughout the 1930s -- the kind that introduced Marlene Dietrich to American audiences early in the decade -- and it's got atmosphere to spare. Charles Boyer plays jewel thief Pepe le Moko, hiding out in the Casbah and surrounded both by allies and those who are itching to turn him into the authorities for their own profit. He falls for a beautiful tourist, played by Hedy Lamarr, and the fantasy of a lovers' stroll through the streets of Paris with her is enough to make him wonder whether it's worth risking getting caught for a bit of old fashioned and normal romance.
Lamarr is certainly beautiful, but her part doesn't amount to much. The movie belongs to Boyer, and he's excellent, so good that his performance earned him a Best Actor Academy Award nomination at the 1938 Oscars. Gene Lockhart, as a sleazy toadie who double crosses Boyer, received a Best Supporting Actor nod. Two additional nominations went to the film's art direction and cinematography. In addition to its stylish look, I appreciated the film's tight screenplay, a little marvel of economic storytelling.
Grade: A-
Lamarr is certainly beautiful, but her part doesn't amount to much. The movie belongs to Boyer, and he's excellent, so good that his performance earned him a Best Actor Academy Award nomination at the 1938 Oscars. Gene Lockhart, as a sleazy toadie who double crosses Boyer, received a Best Supporting Actor nod. Two additional nominations went to the film's art direction and cinematography. In addition to its stylish look, I appreciated the film's tight screenplay, a little marvel of economic storytelling.
Grade: A-
- evanston_dad
- Jun 7, 2020
- Permalink
Pepe le Moko
- steph92010
- Apr 6, 2008
- Permalink
Wonderful performances by Lamarr and Boyer
This is a great movie well worth watching. The interaction between the leads, Charles Boyer and Hedy Lamarr, is nothing short of beautiful.
Other people have described the plot, the setting, and the great photography, so I will skip that. Some have written here that Algiers compares well to "Casablanca." I can't agree with that. This movie doesn't have the heroism, the larger than life situation, the love triangle. For that reason, I can't rate it more than 8 (while I rate Casablanca a 10+).
As has also been noted here, Algiers is a remake of the French movie "Pepe Le Moko". I have not seen that movie. I'm sure I will someday. Some people have written that the French movie is better, and that the lead actor there, Gabin, is more believable as a gangster. That may well be true; I will not argue it. It doesn't matter. Boyer is excellent here. His personna is completely believable to me, and, frankly, I don't much care how closely he matches authentic French gangsters. No wonder so may female movie fans fell in love with him!
The movie is made even more appealing by the secondary characters. Gene Lockart's informer is well acted. Joseph Calleia does a great job as the "native" detective who has easy access to the Casbah. Sigrid Gurie is great as the jealous courtesan. Alan Hale Sr. is great as the witty erudite criminal. The rough fellow who always says "OK" was fun. I also enjoyed the slim bodyguard dressed in white who never said anything; not sure which actor this is.
If there is a flaw, it is maybe an overall dearth of intensity. Maybe this is a question of evolving movie-making style, a difference of eras. I think we expect criminals these days to show a lot of anger, to hear a lot of nasty snarling dialogue. You aren't going to hear that in this movie.
And frankly I don't care because this is not a crime drama, it's a tragic love story. Which brings us to the main reason to see this movie. Hedy Lamarr.
What can I say? "Wow" is hardly sufficient. "Holy @#!&%" doesn't help much. Of all the beautiful actresses there have been, of all the kinds of beauty -- cute, girl-next-door, classic, sultry, innocent, exotic, hot, mysterious, haughty, bombshell, va-va-voom, ethereal -- Hedy Lamarr had the best. No she didn't have the sexiest body; she was actually a little thin. She wasn't the oh-so-appealing cute type like Meg Ryan, or the sexy bombshell like Marilyn Monroe, or the exotic Greta Garbo. This is pure human female beauty. And it's not just some portrait or statue. She speaks, she smiles, she moves. There are at least three scenes of conversations with Charles Boyer that I just can't watch often enough. By direction or not, she slightly underacts. It's been said that she really wasn't that good at acting. Could be; again, who cares? She communicates plenty to me.
So applaud it for the plot, the photography, the great secondary characters, the wonderful Charles Boyer. And drink a toast to Hedy Lamarr.
Other people have described the plot, the setting, and the great photography, so I will skip that. Some have written here that Algiers compares well to "Casablanca." I can't agree with that. This movie doesn't have the heroism, the larger than life situation, the love triangle. For that reason, I can't rate it more than 8 (while I rate Casablanca a 10+).
As has also been noted here, Algiers is a remake of the French movie "Pepe Le Moko". I have not seen that movie. I'm sure I will someday. Some people have written that the French movie is better, and that the lead actor there, Gabin, is more believable as a gangster. That may well be true; I will not argue it. It doesn't matter. Boyer is excellent here. His personna is completely believable to me, and, frankly, I don't much care how closely he matches authentic French gangsters. No wonder so may female movie fans fell in love with him!
The movie is made even more appealing by the secondary characters. Gene Lockart's informer is well acted. Joseph Calleia does a great job as the "native" detective who has easy access to the Casbah. Sigrid Gurie is great as the jealous courtesan. Alan Hale Sr. is great as the witty erudite criminal. The rough fellow who always says "OK" was fun. I also enjoyed the slim bodyguard dressed in white who never said anything; not sure which actor this is.
If there is a flaw, it is maybe an overall dearth of intensity. Maybe this is a question of evolving movie-making style, a difference of eras. I think we expect criminals these days to show a lot of anger, to hear a lot of nasty snarling dialogue. You aren't going to hear that in this movie.
And frankly I don't care because this is not a crime drama, it's a tragic love story. Which brings us to the main reason to see this movie. Hedy Lamarr.
What can I say? "Wow" is hardly sufficient. "Holy @#!&%" doesn't help much. Of all the beautiful actresses there have been, of all the kinds of beauty -- cute, girl-next-door, classic, sultry, innocent, exotic, hot, mysterious, haughty, bombshell, va-va-voom, ethereal -- Hedy Lamarr had the best. No she didn't have the sexiest body; she was actually a little thin. She wasn't the oh-so-appealing cute type like Meg Ryan, or the sexy bombshell like Marilyn Monroe, or the exotic Greta Garbo. This is pure human female beauty. And it's not just some portrait or statue. She speaks, she smiles, she moves. There are at least three scenes of conversations with Charles Boyer that I just can't watch often enough. By direction or not, she slightly underacts. It's been said that she really wasn't that good at acting. Could be; again, who cares? She communicates plenty to me.
So applaud it for the plot, the photography, the great secondary characters, the wonderful Charles Boyer. And drink a toast to Hedy Lamarr.
"We play the game, but fate controls the cards".
- classicsoncall
- Jul 13, 2011
- Permalink
A Good Performance By Boyer In An Otherwise Weak Story