Crime

Lucky Jo

Lucky Jo and his three friends are little criminals, who try to live from small burglaries. But they never have luck - ever so often something inpredictable happens to Jo and gets one of them arrested. While Jo is in prison once again, they decide they'd better do without him in future. He decides to help them secretly...and unfortunately.

Release Date : 1964-11-12

Language :French

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Les Productions Jacques RoitfeldEléfilmBelmont FilmsUGC Films

Production Country : France

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Lucky Jo

Original Name : Eddie Constantine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Loudéac

Original Name : Pierre Brasseur

Gender : Male

Character Name : Napo

Original Name : Jean-Pierre Darras

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mimi Perrin

Original Name : Françoise Arnoul

Gender : Female

Character Name : Le commissaire Guillaumet

Original Name : Jean-Pierre Rambal

Gender : Male

Character Name : La femme importunée dans le bar

Original Name : Anouk Ferjac

Gender : Female

Character Name : Gabriel Farcasse

Original Name : André Cellier

Gender : Male

Character Name : Adeline

Original Name : Christiane Minazzoli

Gender : Female

Character Name : Simon Archambault

Original Name : Georges Wilson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Le commissaire Odile

Original Name : Christian Barbier

Gender : Male

Character Name : La patronne de l'hôtel Wagram

Original Name : Marcelle Ranson-Hervé

Gender : Female

Character Name : Paul Garnier

Original Name : Jean-Paul Cisife

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raton

Original Name : Pierre Asso

Gender : Male

Character Name : Zani, un receleur

Original Name : Pierre Le Rumeur

Gender : Male

Character Name : Inspecteur Thierry

Original Name : Jacques Echantillon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raymond Garcia

Original Name : Willy Braque

Gender : Male

Character Name : Le barman de Napo

Original Name : Jean-Pierre Moutier

Gender : Male

Character Name : Un inspecteur

Original Name : Bernard Mongourdin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Loudéac Fils dit Junior

Original Name : Claude Brasseur

Gender : Male

Character Name : Toto, l'aveugle (uncredited)

Original Name : Marcel Gassouk

Gender : Male

Character Name : Légiste (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Bonifas

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Lucky Jo - He's Not Slow Lucky Jo is directed by Michel Deville and adapted to screenplay by Nina Companeez and Michel Deville from the novel "Main pleine" written by Pierre-Vial Lesou. It stars Eddie Constantine, Pierre Brasseur, Georges Wilson, Christiane Minazzoli, Jean-Pierre Darras, Françoise Arnoul and André Cellier. Music is by Georges Delerue and cinematography by Claude Lecomte. Lucky Jo (Constantine) and his three friends are petty criminals who try to get by from small burglaries. But they never seem to have any luck, with the source of misfortune usually accountable to Jo. While Jo is in prison once again, they decide they'd better do without him in future, but he decides to help them from afar - with less than successful results - again! As most serious film noir lovers will tell you, the French continued making film noir movies throughout the 1960 - with outstanding rewards. What is evident here with Lucky Jo, is that a French production also managed to achieve that rare old skill of making a crime/noir/comedy that works. To emphasise the comedy aspects is kind of under selling the pic, for it has great drama, action, tragedy and fulsome characterisations. You may find upon viewing this one that you be laughing uneasily for darkness is never too far away. The initial capers at pic's start have a splendid hapless whiff to them, but once the trajectory of Jo's bad luck starts to take shape, the narrative ups the ante for dramatic purpose with that devilish noir trait of coincidence biting hard. Sure enough, our main protagonist ends up in all sorts of trouble, hunted for ghastly crimes purely because noir has dealt its crafty hand. Cue great punch ups, cool moments as Jo (Constantine is great) goes about trying to prove his innocence, even gathering a smart and loyal canine partner (hello "High Sierra") in the process. Hell, he even has time to rescue a bar dwelling dame (Anouk Ferjac) from drunken male suitors. There's a clinical turn of events that belies the comedic strands that drift in and out, and it's here where the Jo character comes alive. All of which leads to a finale that doesn't disappoint. Hugely enjoyable pic for like minded genre/style fans, that is on proviso it is ultimately an odd blend of genres that will not appeal to the casual film fan. 7/10