The Brain

"The Brain has rocked the world with laughter!"

1969 1h 55m FR

👍

7.3

SOLID

⭐

6.8

IMDB

★7.3TMDB · 315★6.8IMDB · 4,623

CrimeComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Arthur and Anatole are two little robbers. They want to rob money, money that will travel in a special train from Paris to Bruxelles. They don't know that other people have planned to do the same thing.

“The Brain has rocked the world with laughter!”

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Where to watch · US

France Channel Amazon ChannelSubscription

Cast

Jean-Paul Belmondo
Arthur Lespinasse
Bourvil
Anatole
David Niven
Colonnel Carol Matthews, Aka 'Le Cerveau'
Eli Wallach
Frankie Scannapieco, Godfather of the Italian Mafia
Silvia Monti
Sofia Scannapieco, Frankie's Sister
Raymond Gérôme
Commissioner
Fernand Guiot
Inspector Mazurel, Assistant to the Commissioner
Jacques Balutin
Inspector Pochet

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gérard Oury
Writers: Danièle Thompson, Marcel Jullian, Gérard Oury
Languages: German, English, French, Italian
Countries: France, Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

57 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: German, English, French, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Gérard Oury, shot by Wladimir Ivanov. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Georges Delerue. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Laurence Leininger shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jean-Paul Belmondo and Bourvil and David Niven carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The Brain has rocked the world with laughter!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gérard Oury directs. Wladimir Ivanov behind the camera. Georges Delerue scores. Laurence Leininger cuts. Produced in France, Italy. Dialogue in German, English, French, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

157 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: German, English, French, Italian.
3International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.
4Directed by Gérard Oury, shot by Wladimir Ivanov. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Georges Delerue. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Laurence Leininger shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jean-Paul Belmondo and Bourvil and David Niven carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The Brain has rocked the world with laughter!".
9IMDB entry: tt0064146 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 9 themes, including "new york city", "robbery", "paris, france", "heist".
11Released under 13 different titles around the world.