The Down-in-the-Hole Gang

1974 1h 30m FR

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 38

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Here we find a group of misfits who've given up on humanity and have decided to dwell below the pavement. The group has its own hierarchy, of course, and soon the conditions that drove them underground begin to manifest themselves without the influences of the Outside World.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Michel Serrault
Jean-Paul Rondin
Philippe Noiret
Gaspard de Montfermeil
Michel Galabru
Commissaire Lalatte
Gérard Depardieu
le facteur
Gérard Hernandez
Hervé Balzac
Chantal Goya
Marie-Hélène Rondin
Prudence Harrington
Miss Pamela Pendleton-Pumkin
Charles Denner
Ministre des travaux public

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Pierre Tchernia
Writers: René Goscinny, Pierre Tchernia
Languages: French
Countries: France

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

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

52 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Pierre Tchernia, shot by Jean Tournier. 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 Gérard Calvi. 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 Françoise Javet 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

Michel Serrault and Philippe Noiret and Michel Galabru carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0070090 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Pierre Tchernia directs. Jean Tournier behind the camera. Gérard Calvi scores. Françoise Javet cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
252 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Pierre Tchernia, shot by Jean Tournier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Gérard Calvi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Françoise Javet shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Michel Serrault and Philippe Noiret and Michel Galabru carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0070090 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 38 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.