Lemmy Caution
Encyclopedia
Lemmy Caution is a fictitious Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) agent (or in later stories a private detective) created by Peter Cheyney
, who published the first book about him in 1936. When "This man is dangerous " was released, Cheyney was a policeman, but the novel's success enabled him to become a professional author.
After World War II
many French people had a penchant for American culture and American heroes. Against that background Peter Cheyney's books were promoted very successfully all over France, and consequently the French film business discovered them as arable material for a series of popular films.
Bernard Borderie
had the chance to produce the first French adaption. He was searching for somebody who had the looks of a gangster, and picked Eddie Constantine
, who was already known as a singer. So far he had merely played one supporting role in a film of the very same year and his lack of experience as an actor is rather obvious, even without comparing La môme vert-de-gris
to his later films. However, he really started through as an actor. Audiences liked his personality, and that led to a whole series of films with "Lemmy Caution".
Lemmy Caution was portrayed as a witty, crafty womanizer who never hesitated to do what he considered appropriate. When playing Lemmy Caution, Eddie Constantine often approached pretty ladies with a glass of whisky in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
Many people mixed up Lemmy Caution and Eddie Constantine. Constantine would never be able to remedy this mix-up. Neither has it ever been reported that anybody had tried to succeed Constantine as Lemmy Caution.
The film adaptions of Peter Cheyney's book showed Lemmy Caution as an optimistic strong man who would even be a winner when he was totally outnumbered. So it came as a shock for many fans when they watched Eddie Constantine's interpretation of Lemmy Caution in Alphaville. Here he was a tired, aged and depressive-looking man clad in a trenchcoat like once had Humphrey Bogart, spaced out and lost in a future world.
Lemmy Caution returned later on several times as a cameo
in German feature films like Udo Lindenberg
's Panische Zeiten (Panic Times) and others.
In 1988 there was also a French film called Le retour de Lemmy Caution with Lemmy Caution once again as main character but this Lemmy Caution was far away from Peter Cheyney's vision.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) agent (or in later stories a private detective) created by Peter Cheyney
Peter Cheyney
Reginald Evelyn Peter Southouse Cheyney, known as Peter Cheyney, was a British crime fiction writer who flourished between 1936 and 1951...
, who published the first book about him in 1936. When "This man is dangerous " was released, Cheyney was a policeman, but the novel's success enabled him to become a professional author.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
many French people had a penchant for American culture and American heroes. Against that background Peter Cheyney's books were promoted very successfully all over France, and consequently the French film business discovered them as arable material for a series of popular films.
Bernard Borderie
Bernard Borderie
Bernard Borderie , son of Raymond Borderie, one of the producers of Les Enfants du Paradis , was a French film director and screenwriter.-Selected filmography:...
had the chance to produce the first French adaption. He was searching for somebody who had the looks of a gangster, and picked Eddie Constantine
Eddie Constantine
Eddie Constantine was an American-born French actor and singer who spent his career working in Europe....
, who was already known as a singer. So far he had merely played one supporting role in a film of the very same year and his lack of experience as an actor is rather obvious, even without comparing La môme vert-de-gris
La môme vert-de-gris
La môme vert-de-gris , released in the USA as Poison Ivy, is a 1953 French movie, adapted from the 1937 Lemmy Caution thriller Poison Ivy by Peter Cheyney, which had been in 1945 the first title published in Marcel Duhamel's Série noire. It was French director Bernard Borderie's first film, as well...
to his later films. However, he really started through as an actor. Audiences liked his personality, and that led to a whole series of films with "Lemmy Caution".
Lemmy Caution was portrayed as a witty, crafty womanizer who never hesitated to do what he considered appropriate. When playing Lemmy Caution, Eddie Constantine often approached pretty ladies with a glass of whisky in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
Many people mixed up Lemmy Caution and Eddie Constantine. Constantine would never be able to remedy this mix-up. Neither has it ever been reported that anybody had tried to succeed Constantine as Lemmy Caution.
The film adaptions of Peter Cheyney's book showed Lemmy Caution as an optimistic strong man who would even be a winner when he was totally outnumbered. So it came as a shock for many fans when they watched Eddie Constantine's interpretation of Lemmy Caution in Alphaville. Here he was a tired, aged and depressive-looking man clad in a trenchcoat like once had Humphrey Bogart, spaced out and lost in a future world.
Lemmy Caution returned later on several times as a cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in German feature films like Udo Lindenberg
Udo Lindenberg
Udo Lindenberg is a German rock musician and composer.-Career:Lindenberg started his musical career as a drummer. In 1969 Lindenberg founded his first band Free Orbit and also appeared as a studio and guest musician . In 1970 he collaborated as a drummer with jazz-saxophonist Klaus Doldinger in...
's Panische Zeiten (Panic Times) and others.
In 1988 there was also a French film called Le retour de Lemmy Caution with Lemmy Caution once again as main character but this Lemmy Caution was far away from Peter Cheyney's vision.
Novels about Lemmy Caution
- This man is dangerous (1936)
- Dames don't care (1937)
- Poison Ivy (1937)
- Can ladies kill? (1938)
- Don't get me wrong (1939)
- You'd be surprised (1940) '
- Your deal, my lovely (1941)
- Never a dull moment (1942)
- You can always duck (1943)
- I'll say she does! (1945)