René la canne (1976)
Directed by Francis Girod

Film Synopsis

Paris, 1942.  Even though France is under Nazi occupation, René Bornier, better known as René la Canne, is making a reasonable living for himself as a small-time crook.  His luck runs out when he is arrested by the German police and incarcerated with Marchard, a policeman who is mixed up with the Resistance.  To save his neck, the latter accepts René's advice and passes himself off as a petty criminal.  The two men end up being sent to Germany as forced labourers in a printing works.  René and his new friend take advantage of their newfound freedom to seduce two German bargirls.  The unexpected appearance of René's girlfriend Krista brings an abrupt end to their happy idyll.  The crook is forced to kill a German officer when he attempts to rape Krista, and ends up having to go on the run.

After the Liberation, Marchand is back in France, now promoted to the rank of police inspector, whilst his friend René runs a dodgy import-export business in Marseille.  Krista, now the proud owner of a brothel, is glad to renew her acquaintance with Marchand and soon becomes his mistress.  It isn't long before René's dubious business activities come to the attention of the police, and Marchand is, ironically, the man who is charged with bringing him to book.  There isn't a prison in France that hold René la Canne for long, and the crook is soon on the run again.  Marchand is once more on his tail after he pulls off a hold-up in Deauville.  The two friends finally resolve their differences and head off to Switzerland to start a new life with René's ill-gotten gains...