Le couteau sous la gorge

Doctor Hourtin removes a bullet from hoodlum Paco le Maltaise. Years later the doctor's son is abducted and he turns to Paco and his gang for help.

This is a pretty standard 'kidnap' movie that is redeemed by being shot on location in Marseilles in Eastmancolor and by its four leading players. The doctor is played by Jean Servais who never disappoints whatever his material and always evokes one's sympathy whether playing 'good' or 'bad'. The commissaire, a poor man's Maigret, is beautifully played by Yves Deniaud, best known perhaps for being the third incarnation of Anatole France's immortal 'Crainquebille'. Madeleine Robinson's best roles are behind her but she still registers in the thankless part of a kidnapper. Jean Chevrier as Paco just manages to avoid being one-dimensional. There is a colourful collection of hoods and hookers.

Director Jacques Severac is unknown to me. Not only are his biographical details sparse to say the least but his films are difficult to access. He has certainly done his best here with the material at his disposal. One cannot ask for more.

Although Madeleine Robinson plays the female lead ,her appearances do not exceed 15 minutes and it's rather a "special guest star " performance. Another mystery is why the headmaster of a posh school should let one of his pupils go with the first to come (a heavily made-up Robinson)under the pretext that his mother has had an accident!

The abducted child is a subject as old as the hills,and this one does not really renew it.The only original thing is that the distraught father , who fears that if the police had to be brought in,it could endanger his son's life ,asks some help from the underworld ;once he saved a gangster who could not have an operation in a hospital;and the gangster's moll -a former nurse!-abets dad.