L'ultima notte

Well, I have now seen all three films Gabin made with Georges Lacombe, and can say that this is the weakest. It's made weak by a story that stretches credulity to breaking point. Someone should have pointed out that the trades of librarian and gangster require completely different skill sets, aptitudes that cannot be imported from one to another. I can believe Gabin as a tough guy--he played one in Touchez pas au grisbi, to name one among many--but never as a mousy librarian. Madeleine Robinson is an actress I never especially warmed to, but she is capable here. This may be avoided.

Madeleine Robinson - born Madeleine Yvonne Svoboda, daughter of a Czeckoslovak pastrycook - made a remarkable 104 films in seven decades (1930s - 1990s) yet contrived to be virtually unknown in England, which is a great pity and England's loss. In common with most French females in the profession she was a beautiful lady who was also a fine actress and as such got to appear with prime leading men - Gerard Philippe, Pierre Brasseur, Eric von Strohein and, as here, Jean Gabin. Gabin himself made three films with director Georges Lacombe but after relocating to Hollywood in 1940 he fell out of favour with French audiences and went from the Top male star in the business to also- ran until he regained his crown with Jacques Becker's Touchez-pas au grisbi in 1954. Their Last Night dates from a tad earlier so although it is a fine effort it has suffered unjust neglect although now it is available on the excellent range of dvds my Rene Château it may gain recognition. Gabin is a milquetoast on the surface but underneath the facade really a leading gangster. He is able to secure a teaching post for Robinson, just up from the provinces and her sense of gratitude plus her growing affection for him leads her to help him when he goes on the run. Perhaps its most singular aspect is the fact that the two highly charismatic leads don't even kiss yet, as in Coward's Brief Encounter we are in no doubt of the chemistry between them. Ripe for rediscovery.