French Movies in New Orleans
We're all aware of the fabulous French culture that has ingrained itself into our beloved New Orleans. French influences are everywhere in NOLA, whether we're concocting a savory roux or carefully choosing that loaf of French bread for our po-boys.
Our French Quarter is one of the most famous places on Earth, lending credence to our inclusion on lists that celebrate the most popular cities in the world. Yet, had it not been for a fateful day in France way back in 1789, we wouldn't have a reason to celebrate the key holiday of Bastille Day (July 14), in honor of that oh so important turning point in the French Revolution.
For all of those movie buffs out there, let us fill our evenings with a trio of actual French films that were filmed right here in New Orleans. Try not to forget the cognac.
Magnet of Doom, a.k.a. L'aîné des Ferchaux (1963)
French paratrooper-turned-boxer Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) has taken way too many hits and must find a new career. So he decides to answer a personal ad for a secretary/bodyguard to the elderly Monsieur Ferchaux (Charles Vanel), who just so happens to be a crooked banker who will soon be under indictment. The two men set out to Venezuela, while planning to make key stops along the way to withdraw some of the dirty money. During one of their adventures, they take a car down to New Orleans, where an evolving relationship between the two men will have them facing some life-or-death decisions.
While there was some great location photography of Canal Street and the nightlife surrounding the French Quarter, most of the film's latter action takes place at an isolated house on the bayou, which is rented by the two men. These scenes were probably filmed on a French soundstage, but when you see the local bayou hangout dubbed "Jeff's Bar," you'll probably agree that this shady establishment is, nevertheless, an awesome little pub that some wish was real.
Co-starring legendary French actress Michèle Mercier (Black Sabbath, Cemetery Without Crosses) as a, you guessed it, Bourbon Street stripper and directed by the Godfather of the French New Wave Jean-Pierre Melville (Le Samouraï), you can watch this film on the Criterion Channel with a subscription or a seven-day free trial.
Violent City (1970)
Before Death Wish and Kojak respectively turned them into household names, two of the screen's greatest tough guys, Charles Bronson and Telly Savalas, worked in European productions like this one. An Italian-French co-production directed by Sergio Sollima (The Big Gundown, Revolver), the story concerns an ex-hitman named Jeff (Bronson), who is double-crossed by some of his old associates under the orders of crime magnate Al Weber (Savalas). From a car chase in the Virgin Islands and an assassination at a Michigan Speedway to mafia dealings on the streets of New Orleans, there is something for every action/adventure fan in this film, all set to a dynamic score by the inimitable Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly).
You'll recognize tons of locations as Jeff eats lunch with his drug-addicted French associate (Michel Constantin) at Ted's Frostop on Calhoun Street (back when the huge root beer sign actually spun). Strongarm scenes were filmed both on the docks underneath the Crescent City Connection and at a Westwego junkyard right under the Huey P. Long Bridge. Seriously, if you want to get nostalgic with New Orleans locations on film, then this is the movie you just have to see. Even Metry Cab is featured, with the same, exact phone number to this day (504-835-4242).
Also starring Bronson's real-life wife and frequent costar Jill Ireland as Vanessa, Violent City took three years to make its way to the U.S., where it was released as The Family, but now you can watch this time capsule absolutely free on Tubi TV.
Cigarettes & Nylons (2010)
This charming narrative concerns French girls who married U.S. soldiers, and the challenges they faced to become army wives near the end of World War II. Based on fact, back in Normandy, these women would be trained in the arts of homemaking at "cigarette camps" (this one dubbed Chesterfield after the famous American cigarette brand of the WWII-era) before they were released into America for their new lives with their husbands—some good and some less-than-stellar.
Our main character is Jeannette (Adélaïde Leroux), whose training is seemingly in vain when it is discovered that her new husband was killed in action. Regardless of this, she embarks on a journey to America to find herself and visit some of the "camp" girls, whose new lives are well underway. While one of the wives had been relocated to New Orleans, locations in Louisiana (such as St. Bernard Parish, Lockport, and the Ninth Ward) were used to fill in for a number of places as diverse as New York, Connecticut, and Alabama. What's even more special about this film is the presence of some local actors playing the husbands of the girls, such as Billy Slaughter (one of the most recognizable faces out of "Hollywood South") and Delgado Community College's own Michael Aaron Santos (Treme, The Big Short) in a very small, but extremely important role.
Originally devised for French television, Cigarettes & Nylons was given a theatrical release at none other than the old Chalmette Movies cinema as part of the 2010 New Orleans Film Festival. You can watch this delightful film for free as part of Stream TV on YouTube.
