The Brain [Le Cerveau] * (1969, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Bourvil, David Niven, Eli Wallach, Silvia Monti) – Classic Movie Review 10,350

Director Gérard Oury’s 1969 French crime caper film The Brain [Le Cerveau] is a tepid, too unsubtle and slapstick-toned international Sixties heist comedy, wasting David Niven as a British NATO army colonel (‘The Brain’), who is leading a raid on $14 million of NATO cash travelling on a train heading for Brussels.

French stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Bourvil, as Arthur and Anatole, two French crooks planning an alternative, robbery on the money, are directed to little effect by their countryman Oury, who also co-writes the screenplay. However, Eli Wallach enjoys himself in one of his long line of Sicilian gangsters, Frankie Scannapieco, also after the dough.

The international version is 20 minutes shorter. It runs 115 minutes but the cut alternate version runs 95 minutes.

The film was shot in both French and English with the same cast.

Also in the cast are Silvia Monti, Fernand Valois, Raymond Gerome, Jacques Balutin, Jacques Ciro, and Fernand Guilot.

The Brain [Le Cerveau] is directed by Gérard Oury, runs 115 minutes, is made by Gaumont International and Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica, is released by Gaumont (1969) (France) and Paramount (UK and US), is written by Gérard Oury, Marcel Julian and Danièle Thompson, is shot in Eastman color by Wladimir Ivanov and Armand Thirard (technical advisor: photography), is produced by Paul Joly (executive producer) and Alain Poiré, is scored by Georges Delerue.

It is shot at Franstudio, Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne, France, and in Paris, London, New York City, Le Harvre and Sicily.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,350

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