The Big Chief
| Industry | Film production |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1959 |
| Products | Films |
The Big Chief (French title: Le grand chef, Italian title: Noi gangsters) is a 1959 comedy film co-produced by France and Italy, directed by Henri Verneuil and featuring performances by Fernandel, Gino Cervi, and Florence Blot. This movie adapts the short story The Ransom of Red Chief written by O. Henry. The production was a collaboration between Franco London Films, Les Films Gibé, and Zebra Films, with distribution handled by Gaumont Distribution. Shooting took place at Boulogne Studios in Paris, with the film's visual environment crafted under the supervision of art director Robert Clavel. Also released under the alternate title Gangster Boss, it stars the well-known pair Fernandel and Cervi, recognized for their appearances in the Don Camillo film series. An earlier cinematic version of the narrative appeared in the 1952 American movie O. Henry's Full House.
Synopsis
Two employees at a garage abduct a wealthy man's son after enticing him by dressing up as Native Americans. However, the child’s unruly behavior quickly causes them to reconsider and seek his return to his father.
Cast
- Fernandel as Antoine Venturen
- Gino Cervi as Paulo
- Papouf as Eric Jumelin
- Florence Blot as Mme Florentin, la nurse
- Georges Chamarat as Jules, le majordome
- Dominique Davray as La voisine d'en face
- Jean-Jacques Delbo as M. Jumelin
- Héléna Manson as La guide polyglotte au Louvre
- Albert Michel as Le voisin d'en face
- Noëlle Norman as Mme Jumelin
- Gabriel Gobin as Le chauffeur de taxi