IMDb RATING
7.7/10
8.1K
YOUR RATING
A wanted gangster is both king and prisoner of the Casbah. He is protected from arrest by his friends, but is torn by his desire for freedom outside. A visiting Parisian beauty may just temp... Read allA wanted gangster is both king and prisoner of the Casbah. He is protected from arrest by his friends, but is torn by his desire for freedom outside. A visiting Parisian beauty may just tempt his fate.A wanted gangster is both king and prisoner of the Casbah. He is protected from arrest by his friends, but is torn by his desire for freedom outside. A visiting Parisian beauty may just tempt his fate.
- Awards
- 2 wins
Fernand Charpin
- Régis
- (as Charpin)
Gilbert Gil
- Pierrot
- (as Gilbert-Gil)
Marcel Dalio
- L'Arbi
- (as Dalio)
Charles Granval
- Maxime
- (as Granval)
René Bergeron
- Meunier
- (as Bergeron)
Paul Escoffier
- Louvain
- (as Escoffier)
Roger Legris
- Max
- (as Legris)
Jean Témerson
- Gravère
- (as Temerson)
Georges Péclet
- Barsac
- (as Péclet)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen Walter Wanger produced Algiers (1938), the American remake, he tried to have all copies of this movie destroyed. Fortunately, he was not able to do so.
- GoofsAfter Pierrot's death, Pepe is getting progressively drunker, and his suit coat opens to reveal more of his shirt. His shirt has a monogram of "JG" on the pocket, which is the monogram of the actor (Jean Gabin) and not the character.
- Quotes
Chef Inspecteur Louvain: But can we trust you? No double-dealing?
Régis: Sir, I am an informer not a hypocrite.
- ConnectionsEdited into Catalogue of Ships (2008)
Featured review
Film noir from the French, before they invented the phrase
"Pepe Le Moko" is an early film noir, coming several decades before the French themselves invented the term to explain atmospheric American crime films. And it is one of the best, a film ranking right up there with the work of Melville, Becker, and other top post war directors.
This is being billed in the US now as a sort of lost film. Actually, it wasn't lost. Hollywood simply bought the rights and kept it off American movie screens so it could release its own remake of it in 1938, retitled "Algiers." That wasn't a half bad film, made enjoyable for the most part because it was a very off-beat story, had great atmosphere and featured the breathtakingly beautiful Hedy Lamarr in the role of Gaby.
At first, when looking at this French original, you wonder why it seems so familiar. Then you realize that the Hollywood version is almost a shot for shot remake, copying almost everything. Everything, that is, but the performance of Jean Gabin.
Hollywood's version, which stared Charles Boyer, always seemed a little contrived, primarily because Boyer was just not very convincing as the tough Paris gangster who pulls a bank heist and flees to Algiers, where he takes up permanent residence in the Arab quarter, the Casbah. Boyer just didn't seem like the gangster type.
Gabin, who had played rough characters before and would go on to play many others, is perfect as the smart, charismatic, but sometimes brutal Pepe.
It is ironic that the French, so in love with gangster films that they copied American cops and robbers films of the 30s, actually made one of their own in that era that wound up being copied by the Americans.
This one is well worth seeing.
This is being billed in the US now as a sort of lost film. Actually, it wasn't lost. Hollywood simply bought the rights and kept it off American movie screens so it could release its own remake of it in 1938, retitled "Algiers." That wasn't a half bad film, made enjoyable for the most part because it was a very off-beat story, had great atmosphere and featured the breathtakingly beautiful Hedy Lamarr in the role of Gaby.
At first, when looking at this French original, you wonder why it seems so familiar. Then you realize that the Hollywood version is almost a shot for shot remake, copying almost everything. Everything, that is, but the performance of Jean Gabin.
Hollywood's version, which stared Charles Boyer, always seemed a little contrived, primarily because Boyer was just not very convincing as the tough Paris gangster who pulls a bank heist and flees to Algiers, where he takes up permanent residence in the Arab quarter, the Casbah. Boyer just didn't seem like the gangster type.
Gabin, who had played rough characters before and would go on to play many others, is perfect as the smart, charismatic, but sometimes brutal Pepe.
It is ironic that the French, so in love with gangster films that they copied American cops and robbers films of the 30s, actually made one of their own in that era that wound up being copied by the Americans.
This one is well worth seeing.
helpful•584
- tprofumo
- Apr 22, 2002
- How long is Pépé le Moko?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Tajinstveni Alžir
- Filming locations
- Algiers, Algeria(exteriors, backgrounds)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $60,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $155,895
- Gross worldwide
- $155,895
- Runtime1 hour 34 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content