The Devil by the Tail

"Aw, hell"

1969 1h 30m FR

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 57

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In this comedy, a run-down hotel drums up customers by sabotaging passing cars. The stuck motorists are then obliged to stay. Unfortunately, one of the sabotaged cars belongs to a bank robber. The hotel staff wants the robber out, but they also want to keep his ill-gotten money.

“Aw, hell”

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Cast

Yves Montand
Le baron César Maricorne
Madeleine Renaud
La marquise
Maria Schell
La comtesse Diane
Jean Rochefort
Le comte Georges
Jean-Pierre Marielle
Jean-Jacques Leroy-Martin, le "play-boy"
Marthe Keller
Amélie, baronne de Coustines
Claude Piéplu
Monsieur Patin
Xavier Gélin
Charly - le garagiste

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Philippe de Broca
Writers: Claude Sautet, Daniel Boulanger
Languages: French
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

RUNTIME

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

57 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Philippe de Broca, shot by Jean Penzer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

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

Yves Montand and Madeleine Renaud and Maria Schell carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Aw, hell".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Philippe de Broca directs. Jean Penzer behind the camera. Françoise Javet cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France, Italy. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
257 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Philippe de Broca, shot by Jean Penzer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Françoise Javet shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Yves Montand and Madeleine Renaud and Maria Schell carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Aw, hell".
9IMDB entry: tt0064232 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 57 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.