The Upper Hand
Cast & Crew
Denys De La Patellière
Jean Gabin
George Raft
Gert Fröbe
Nadja Tiller
Mireille Darc
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Aging gangster Paulo Berger and his partner Walter are heads of an international gold smuggling organization with contacts in Paris, Munich, and Tokyo. Although Walter's young wife, Irène, had once been Paulo's mistress, the two men trust and admire each other. In order to pass gold bars through customs, they hire only couriers without police records. Their newest employee is Mike Coppolano, a journalist who claims to need extra money for his mistress; actually Mike is a U. S. Treasury agent investigating a possible connection between Paulo's operation and a Mafia ring supplying weapons to Cuba. Despite pressure, Paulo has managed to ward off all attempts by the Mafia to take control of his organization; but when several of his key contacts, including Walter, are killed, Paulo agrees to meet with Mafia boss Charles Binaggio. To effect his revenge, Paulo takes a time bomb with him and leaves before the explosion. Once outside, he finds the police, alerted by Mike, waiting for him. Mike apologizes for his deception and admits that he has learned to respect Paulo's unique code of honor. Paulo responds by punching Mike in the face.
Director
Denys De La Patellière
Cast
Jean Gabin
George Raft
Gert Fröbe
Nadja Tiller
Mireille Darc
Claudio Brook
Claude Brasseur
Daniel Ceccaldi
Claude Cerval
Dany Dauberson
Marcel Bozzufi
Jean-claude Bercq
Carlo Nell
Christa Lang
Yves Barsacq
Philippe Clair
Mino Doro
Maurice Jacquin Jr.
Franco Ressel
Tommaso Alvieri
Crew
Ralph Baum
Roberto Bodegas
Alphonse Boudard
Robert Clavel
Raymond Danon
Claude Durand
Jacques Fonteray
Jacques Fonteray
Georges Garvarentz
Maurice Jacquin
Denys De La Patellière
Walter Wottitz
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Location scenes filmed in Tokyo, Munich, and London. Opened in Paris in March 1966 as Du rififi à Paname; running time: 95 min; in Rome in September 1966 as Rififì internazionale; running time: 100 min; in West Berlin in June 1966 as Rififi in Paris. Two U. S. sources credit Eddie Barclay as music composer.
