The Elusive Corporal
Encyclopedia
The Elusive Corporal is a 1962 French film directed by Jean Renoir
and starring Jean-Pierre Cassel
. It was entered into the 12th Berlin International Film Festival
.Renoir shot his film in Austria in 1961 from Jacques Perret
's book based on his own prisoner of war
experiences. Renoir's friend and assistant director Guy Lefranc had also been a World War II prisoner of war and had developed the project for seven years.
The story serves as a companion piece to the director's 1937 film, Grand Illusion
, once more bringing together men from across the broad social spectrum of French society to depict one man's Sisyphean efforts to escape captivity in a German POW camp.
Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s...
and starring Jean-Pierre Cassel
Jean-Pierre Cassel
Jean-Pierre Cassel was a French actor.-Life and career:Cassel was born Jean-Pierre Crochon in Paris, the son of Louise-Marguerite , an opera singer, and Georges Crochon, a doctor. Cassel was discovered by Gene Kelly as he tap danced on stage, and later cast in the 1957 film The Happy Road...
. It was entered into the 12th Berlin International Film Festival
12th Berlin International Film Festival
The 12th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from June 22 to July 3, 1962.-Jury:* King Vidor * André Michel* Emeric Pressburger* Hideo Kikumori* Dolores del Río* Jurgen Schildt* Max Gammeter* Günther Stapenhorst* Bruno E...
.Renoir shot his film in Austria in 1961 from Jacques Perret
Jacques Perret (writer)
Jacques Perret was a French writer best known for his novel Le Caporal Épinglé , which tells the story of his captivity in Germany and of his escape attempts. This novel would later be adapted into a film by famous French director Jean Renoir in 1962...
's book based on his own prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
experiences. Renoir's friend and assistant director Guy Lefranc had also been a World War II prisoner of war and had developed the project for seven years.
The story serves as a companion piece to the director's 1937 film, Grand Illusion
Grand Illusion (film)
Grand Illusion is a 1937 French war film directed by Jean Renoir, who co-wrote the screenplay with Charles Spaak. The story concerns class relationships among a small group of French officers who are prisoners of war during World War I and are plotting an escape.The title of the film comes from a...
, once more bringing together men from across the broad social spectrum of French society to depict one man's Sisyphean efforts to escape captivity in a German POW camp.
Cast
- Jean-Pierre CasselJean-Pierre CasselJean-Pierre Cassel was a French actor.-Life and career:Cassel was born Jean-Pierre Crochon in Paris, the son of Louise-Marguerite , an opera singer, and Georges Crochon, a doctor. Cassel was discovered by Gene Kelly as he tap danced on stage, and later cast in the 1957 film The Happy Road...
- Le caporal / The Corporal - Claude BrasseurClaude Brasseur-Biography:He was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine as Claude Pierre Espinasse, the son of actor Pierre Brasseur and actress Odette Joyeux. He is the godson of Ernest Hemingway and the father of Alexandre Brasseur....
- 'Papa' / 'Pop' - O. E. Hasse - Le voyageur ivre dans le train
- Claude RichClaude RichClaude Rich is a French actor. He began his career as a theater actor, before his film debut in 1955 with René Clair, Les Grandes Manoeuvres.He married the actress Catherine Renaudin on 26 June 1959...
- Ballochet - Jacques JouanneauJacques JouanneauJacques Jouanneau was a French actor. He was born in Angers, France.- Filmographie :* 1953 : Capitaine Pantoufle : The barman of Goéland* 1954 : Les Intrigantes : The reporter...
- Penche-à-gauche - Sacha Briquet - L'évadé grimé en vielle femme
- Raymond Jourdan - Hippolyte Dupieu
- Guy BedosGuy BedosGuy Bedos is an actor and stand-up comedian, mostly known in France for his part in the film Nous irons tous au paradis....
- Le prisonnier qui bégaye - Philippe CastelliPhilippe CastelliPhilippe Castelli was a French film actor. He appeared in 100 films between 1960 and 1992.-Selected filmography:* The Elusive Corporal * Les Tontons flingueurs * Une souris chez les hommes...
- Le prisonnier électricien - Gérard Darrieu - L'homme qui louche / The cross-eyed man
- Lucien Raimbourg - L'employé de la gare
- François Darbon - Un paysan / The last man
- Cornelia FroboessCornelia FroboessCornelia Froboess is a German actress and a teen idol of the 1950s and early 1960s. During that time, Froboess appeared in many musical films, especially after the rock and roll wave had hit Germany...
- Erika Schmidt (as Conny Froboess)