Cet homme est dangereux (1953)
Directed by Jean Sacha

Film Review

The enormous success of La Môme vert-de-gris (1953) made Lemmy Caution's return to the big screen inevitable.   Sure enough, within a matter of months, Eddie Constantine reprised the role of the famous FBI agent in this, the second of what was to be a greatly loved series of French films over the following decade.   The films were adaptations of best selling thriller crime novels by Peter Cheyney and came at a time when American culture was well-received, if not adulated, by the French populace.  

For all its success at the time, Cet homme est dangereux is a pretty mediocre example of its genre - an overly complex plot, cardboard cutout characters and some pretty complacent direction (although the film noir style works in the film's favour.).  The success of this film, and the others in the Lemmy Caution series, was almost certainly down to its lead actor - Eddie Constantine.  Here was the absolute personification (at least in the eyes of a French man or woman at that time) of an American hard man, oozing charm, sex appeal and machismo in every sinew of his being, yet one who spoke French fluently, albeit with a “slight” American accent.

Film Synopsis

After breaking out of a prison in Oklahoma, Lemmy Caution travels to the French Riviera to make contact with Miranda Van Zelden, an heiress who is the likely target of a gang of kidnappers.  One man who intends abducting Miranda to extort a fortune in ransom money from her father is Siegella, a notorious gangster boss.  Lemmy is successfully worming his way into Siegella's confidence when Miranda jets off to Paris without any warning.  Lemmy follows the heiress and makes a pact with another gangster, Dora, before taking Miranda to a house in Rambouillet owned by Siegella.  Dora is then killed and Miranda goes missing again.  Lemmy finally obtains proof of Siegella's criminal activities in a set of documents contained in a briefcase.  Now that the game has run its course, Lemmy can contact his associates in Interpol and enlist their help in eradicating a gang of international criminals...