Wicked City (French: Hans le marin; alternate title: The Last Port) is a 1949 French crime film directed by François Villiers and starring the husband-and-wife team of Jean-Pierre Aumont and Maria Montez. It was Montez's first film in Europe.
Wicked City and The Man on the Eiffel Tower were the first French-American film co-productions following World War II.
Contents
Plot
Hans is a Canadian sailor docked in Marseilles who is having an affair with cabaret owner Dolores. When he is robbed and left for dead, he awakens to discover that Dolores has disappeared. He takes on a job as a nightclub bouncer and has a fling with gypsy girl Tania.
Cast
Maria Montez as Dolores - I'entraîneuse
Jean-Pierre Aumont as Eric Martin, alias Hans Norhen
Lilli Palmer as Tania - la gitane
Marcel Dalio as Aimé - un nervi
Pierre Bertin as Le monsieur sérieux
Grégoire Aslan as Le Brésilien (as Coco Aslan)
Roland Toutain as Le rabatteur
Roger Elin as Emilio
Catherine Damet as Suzy - une entraîneuse
Georges Hubert as L'inspecteur
Lita Recio as La patronne
Georges Jamin as Le commissaire
Dinan as Himself
Frédéric O'Brady as Le chef des gitans (as O'Brady)
Jean-Marie Simon as Le petit (as Poupy Simon)
Jean Roy as Victor - un nevri
Kosta Alex as Himself
Lawson Mooney as Himself
Jacques Guelis as Himself
Claude Malfrayt as Petit rôle
Les Ballets Choucoune as Himself
Noël Chiboust as Et Son Quartett
Production
Aumont served with the Free French army during World War II and was wounded by shrapnel near Marseilles in 1944. While recuperating, he read the novel Hans le marin by Edouard Peisson, and in 1946 he, his wife and his brother François Villiers visited Peisson to negotiate to purchase the film rights. Aumont was to write the script, Villiers was to direct and Montez and Aumont would star. The goal was to show Montez "is an actress as well as a manikin."
Andre Sarrut of Safia Productions agreed to pay the production costs of the film, up to 80,000 francs (then US$250,000). Aumont was to produce through his company with Montez, Christina Productions. Christina provided the services of Aumont, Montez and Lilli Palmer; in exchange, Christina's share would be paid off first out of American box-office receipts.
Filming began in Marseilles in July 1948. Approximately 60% of the film was shot on location, with the remainder filmed at the Joinville Studios in Paris.