Mauvaise Graine (1934)

Set in Paris, the son (Pierre Mingand) of a wealthy businessman (Paul Escoffier) has his funds cut off because his father disapproves of his extravagant ways. However, when he falls in with a gang of car thieves, he finds he has a talent for theft. Directed by Billy Wilder (DOUBLE INDEMNITY) in his directorial debut. By the time this French film was released, he had already relocated to Hollywood where he wrote screenplays and eventually began directing again in 1942 with THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR. It's an amiable inoffensive comedy but nothing in the film indicates the debut of a major film director. I had a difficult time warming up to the characters. Having had my car stolen once, I find nothing amusing about car thieves and the movie romanticizes them a bit. The film was remade in England in 1936 and in France in 1950. Interesting as a footnote to Wilder's career and an early performance by the great Danielle Darrieux as Mingand's love interest. There's an early score by Franz Waxman (SUNSET BOULEVARD), who would follow Wilder to Hollywood. With Raymond Galle and Jean Wall.