Les Cracks

[us56456712]

Can't buy "Les Cracks" (1968) in the USA but you can still get it in France. It seems this type of movie was a fad in the 1960s. Remember "Those Magnificent Men and their Flying Machines" and "Around the World in 80 Days". It's about a guy that invents a new kink of racing bicycle in the early 1900s and the other races sabotage him at every opportunity. Heavily over acted which is part of it's charm. Stunt riding on the road bike is amazing considering there were no mountain bikers then.

 

[horsefarmer]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062830/

The Hotshots (1968)
User Reviews
No dope needed (Happy times)
20 July 2007 | by dbdumonteil – See all my reviews
Bourvil has invented a revolutionary bicycle and tries his luck in the Paris-San Remo ,a cycles race circa 1900.Abetted by his wife (monique Tarbès, with her shrill voice) ,but pursued by a creditor (Robert Hirsh) who wants his money back,he will experience lots of events before the finish.A good use of the wide screen and good colors are assets.A nod to Lamartine gives an intellectual touch: a girl (Jocelyne) is dressed up as a boy and they call her "Jocelyn" like in the writer's poem.One of the cyclists will spend the whole race floating on a river,which gives a surrealistic touch too.

Pleasant movie, with a very nice Bourvil.

Long before "Smokey and the bandit" (God bless...) and "The Cannonball run" there was "Les cracks". We follow Bourvil who just made a revolutionary bicycle that he wants to get used in Paris-San Remo, the first big cycletour of the century (it's 1901) but due to many circumstances Bourvil ends up being bankrupt and a very stupid (but clever) debtclaimer wants everything Bourvil has, including the bicycle... What we then see is during the whole movie the chase after Bourvil. Let's make it right from the start, we saw the great French comedian in much better movies and the hommage to slapstick from director Alex Joffe can work on your nerves as this is like some copy from a Buster Keatonmovie in colours, but as it often go with French movies, you tend to laugh.

 

[us56456712]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062830/

The Hotshots (1968)
User Reviews
No dope needed (Happy times)
20 July 2007 | by dbdumonteil – See all my reviews
Bourvil has invented a revolutionary bicycle and tries his luck in the Paris-San Remo ,a cycles race circa 1900.Abetted by his wife (monique Tarbès, with her shrill voice) ,but pursued by a creditor (Robert Hirsh) who wants his money back,he will experience lots of events before the finish.A good use of the wide screen and good colors are assets.A nod to Lamartine gives an intellectual touch: a girl (Jocelyne) is dressed up as a boy and they call her "Jocelyn" like in the writer's poem.One of the cyclists will spend the whole race floating on a river,which gives a surrealistic touch too.

Pleasant movie, with a very nice Bourvil.

Long before "Smokey and the bandit" (God bless...) and "The Cannonball run" there was "Les cracks". We follow Bourvil who just made a revolutionary bicycle that he wants to get used in Paris-San Remo, the first big cycletour of the century (it's 1901) but due to many circumstances Bourvil ends up being bankrupt and a very stupid (but clever) debtclaimer wants everything Bourvil has, including the bicycle... What we then see is during the whole movie the chase after Bourvil. Let's make it right from the start, we saw the great French comedian in much better movies and the hommage to slapstick from director Alex Joffe can work on your nerves as this is like some copy from a Buster Keatonmovie in colours, but as it often go with French movies, you tend to laugh.

wow good to know, I just like the silliness and over acting as well as the period bike and car stuff. It cracks me up.