L’Ennemi public no 1 (1953)

L’Ennemi public no 1 is a French crime film first released in 1953, directed by Henri Verneuil.  The film stars Fernandel, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Louis Seigner, David Opatoshu and Alfred Adam.  It has also been released under the title: L’Ennemi public numéro un.  Our overall rating for this film is: very good.


Having lost his job in a New York department store on account of his advanced myopia, Joe Calvet decides to cheer himself up with a visit to the cinema.  When he leaves the theatre, he walks out with the coat of another man, who happens to be a member of a notorious band of gangsters.  When Joe pulls a gun out of the pocket of the coat, he is arrested and, mistaken as the gangsters’ boss, sent to prison.  One of the gangsters, an attractive blonde named Lola, sees an opportunity to take control of her band of crooks and killers.  But first, her gangster associates must break into the prison and rescue Joe….

Jules Dassin - of Riffi fame - was the man who was originally hired to direct Fernandel in this extravagant gangster film parody.  When the film’s cast and crew became subject to threats from representatives of the American film industry, Dassin was dismissed and replaced by Henri Verneuil, who had previously worked with Fernandel on a number of occasions.  With its familiar neon-lit city-scapes, atmospheric score by Nino Rota and set-piece action scenes, L’Ennemi public no 1 sometimes appears more like a serious homage to the American film noir gangster movie than a parody, although the presence of a certain horse-faced comedian easily shatters that illusion.

As ever, Fernandel gives great entertainment value as the hapless innocent who gets in way out his depth, aided by Michel Audiard’s witty dialogue, although he is very nearly out-staged by David Opatoshu who, as the gangster Slim, has some of the best gags.  The production values and performances are exceptionally high for a mainstream French comedy of this period, and for those who need it there is even a touch of Hollywood glamour, in the guise of the stunning Zsa Zsa Gabor.  The only let down is that the plot runs out of steam towards the end and risks collapsing under the weight of its own increasingly strained pastiche.  This is a minor failing however.  With Fernandel performing at his near-best, L’Ennemi public no 1 is a non-stop romp, a delightful send-up of one of cinema’s most popular genres.

© James Travers 2007

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