Frédéric Dard

Frédéric Dard

Birth : 1921-06-29, Bourgoin-Jallieu, Isère, France

Death : 2000-06-06

History

Frédéric Dard (Frédéric Charles Antoine Dard; 29 June 1921, in Bourgoin-Jallieu, Isère, France – 6 June 2000, in Bonnefontaine, Fribourg, Switzerland) was a French crime writer. He wrote more than three hundred novels, plays and screenplays, under his own name and a variety of pseudonyms, including the San-Antonio book series. Frédéric Dard wrote 175 adventures of San-Antonio, of which millions of copies were sold. Detective Superintendent Antoine San-Antonio is a kind of French James Bond without gadgets, flanked by two colleagues, the old, sickly but wise inspector César Pinaud and the gargantuesque inspector Alexandre-Benoît Bérurier. He is a member of the French secret service and has to fulfill impossible missions given by "Le Vieux" (the Old Man), later known as "Achilles", the head of the French police. With the help of his colleagues he always succeeds through various adventures. Dard won the 1957 Grand prix de littérature policière for The Executioner Weeps. Source: Article "Frédéric Dard" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Profile

Frédéric Dard

Movies

San Antonio
Novel
While a terrorist epidemy strikes the world leaders, the commissaire San-Antonio and his partner, the lieutenant Bérurier, have to escort the French ambassador in a British hotel. But after a negligence of Bérurier (one more little sex affair...), San-Antonio witnessed, helpless, to the ambassador's abduction, organized by a gorgeous Italian girl. Back to Paris, San-Antonio is dismissed by the police chief, Achille Hachille. A real godsend for Bérurier, who get promoted... But soon, the situation degenerates, when the president of the Republic mysteriously disappears. Immediate reaction from Police Minister : San-Antonio is the only one who can save the day. He has 48 hours and a secret squad to find the president. At the Elysée, San-Antonio finds Bérurier, the official investigator. But now, it's every man for himself : who will be the first to find the President ?
Mausolée pour une garce
Novel
Adapted from a best-selling novel by Frédéric Dard. Agnès Taride has a closet full of skeletons. A beautiful woman, accustomed to using her body to get what she wants, she persuades her lover to murder her ex-husband for the life insurance money that will otherwise go to her daughter when she reaches her upcoming 18th birthday. The murder attempt goes awry, and not only does the ex survive, but a witness calls on his underworld connections to avenge the attack on his friend. From here, the plot and counter-plot become ever more complicated, with blackmail, kidnap, murder, seduction and suicide on the agenda, and a surprise twist in the ending.
Coma
Novel
Victim of a train accident, a man regains consciousness in the house of the woman who shared his compartment.
Leon's Husband
Writer
In this disturbing drama, based on a novel by "San Antonio" (Frédéric Dard), Léon (Serge Riaboukine) has a wife who is as near to being dead as she can be and still be among the living, and she has been in this state for some time. He is also the worshipful secretary for an overbearing actor/director, Boris (Jean-Pierre Mocky), a man for whom he will do just about anything. However, his need to care for his wife interferes with performing unlimited services for his adored boss, and it is for that reason that he kills her. For a while, his blissful servitude knows no bounds, but his wife's sister smells a rat, and soon his cozy, masochistic relationship with Boris is endangered. Boris, meanwhile, has a quite lovely wife whom he ignores in favor of humiliating her by openly seducing other women.
The Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea
Novel
A con artist couple takes a young, handsome petty thief under their wing, but jealousies flare when the woman develops an interest in him.
Le caviar rouge
Novel
Russian spy boss in Geneva spends a night interrogating two spies to see who is a traitor.
Is There a Frenchman in the House?
Writer
An official's earlier rise to power had some sordid aspects that are about to be uncovered by the death of his uncle. While he is trying to contain any potential scandal, the man becomes enamored of the daughter of his uncle's maid. This new romance inspires him to forget worries about a public image and focus on a new life -- not any easy objective when unsavory friends and foes have their own agendas in mind.
San-Antonio ne pense qu'à ça
Novel
Walter Klozett is a spy arrested and imprisoned by the French Police who know him in possession of stolen booty which the French secret services would like to recover at all costs.
Death Rite
Novel
While traveling to a resort in Tunisia, the magician and clairvoyant Professor Vestar befriends the idle millionaire Edouard Vangard and he offers a ride in his car. Vestar discloses to Edouard that he had had a premonition of a woman being murdered in a desert area.
The Accident
Screenplay
A young beautiful teacher is transfered to a remote island's school, where her colleague (also the principal of the school) falls in love with her. This banned love provokes the jealousy of the principal's wife and makes her seek revenge.
The Empire of Night
Writer
Usually cast as secret agent/private eye Lemmy Caution, Eddie Constantine plays "Eddie" in The Empire of Night. This time, Constantine is a cabaret singer at odds with a criminal gang. When the villains try to take over every nightclub in town for their own nefarious purposes, Eddie sings a new tune with his fists. The story takes several unexpected turns, but Constantine remains in charge throughout.
Crime Does Not Pay
Scenario Writer
Husband try to kill his wife with a help of the plan he saw in a film. But reality is not a film.
Paris Pick-Up
Novel
On a Christmas night, an ex-convict meets a beautiful Italian married woman who has got a lot of things to hide.
Les bras de la nuit
Novel
Police inspector, Landais is caught in a tough situation. Daniele has murdered her husband, yet after the inspector starts investigating the case, he is completely overcome by her. Her obvious attractions have him in thrall and eventually he realizes he will do anything not to lose her. His solution is to cover up for her crime, after which things begin to go poorly.
Desperate Flight
Writer
Rendezvous
Director
The Wretches
Dialogue
Meant to be a psychological study of a dysfunctional couple and an equally unbalanced maid, this slow-paced, murky melodrama stars Michele Morgan and Robert Hossein as Thelma and Jess, two Americans who move into a down-at-the-heels Paris neighborhood. The couple is still suffering from the loss of their only son in an automobile accident that happened some time in the distant past. Thelma tends to drown her sorrows in alcohol, while Jess is introspected and morose. After they hire a maid to help out with the housework, she falls for the taciturn Jess. Her interest seems to be only a simple attraction, yet appearances, as it turns out, are deceiving.
The Wretches
Novel
Meant to be a psychological study of a dysfunctional couple and an equally unbalanced maid, this slow-paced, murky melodrama stars Michele Morgan and Robert Hossein as Thelma and Jess, two Americans who move into a down-at-the-heels Paris neighborhood. The couple is still suffering from the loss of their only son in an automobile accident that happened some time in the distant past. Thelma tends to drown her sorrows in alcohol, while Jess is introspected and morose. After they hire a maid to help out with the housework, she falls for the taciturn Jess. Her interest seems to be only a simple attraction, yet appearances, as it turns out, are deceiving.
Premeditated
Novel
Bernard Sommet has killed his wife and her lover and he declares that was a crime of passion. Sylvie Foucot, his court-appointed attorney, not only believes him but falls in love with him. But the examination magistrate is not convinced. For his part, he leans towards premeditation. Whether Sommet premeditated his act or acted out of anger and jealousy will be up to the court to decide.
Double Agents
Novel
Robert Hossein, Marina Vlady, Robert Le Beal. A brilliant "little" spy film. Hossein and Vlady play mysterious characters who meet up one night in a lonely cabin in the wilds of Normandy. They are both spies, but whom do they work for-the Allies or the Nazis.
Soft Skin on Black Silk
Dialogue
Everything you need to know is telegraphed by the title of this Spanish-language drama. The story takes place in a hothouse Mediterranean setting and combines lust, intrigue and murder in the overheated sexploitation style that was popular during the late 1950s and early '60s.
Blonde in a White Car
Novel
Picked up by a beautiful motorist, jobless hitchhiker Pierre (Hossein) is subsequently romanced by the girl. Immediately thereafter, however, she dumps him, attempting to run him over as a final insult. Memorizing her license number, Pierre pursues the enigmatic motorist. Arriving at her home, Pierre is met by two young ladies (Marina Vlady and Odelle Versois), either one of whom might be the woman he's looking for.
Back to the Wall
Dialogue
Rich industrialist Jacques Decret learns his wife Gloria is having an affair with a young actor. For revenge, he bombards her with anonymous letters, convincing her that her lover is the culprit while Gloria desperately seeks a way out.
Back to the Wall
Adaptation
Rich industrialist Jacques Decret learns his wife Gloria is having an affair with a young actor. For revenge, he bombards her with anonymous letters, convincing her that her lover is the culprit while Gloria desperately seeks a way out.
Back to the Wall
Novel
Rich industrialist Jacques Decret learns his wife Gloria is having an affair with a young actor. For revenge, he bombards her with anonymous letters, convincing her that her lover is the culprit while Gloria desperately seeks a way out.
Daddy's Gang
Writer
Shy, timorous bank clerk, Fernand Jérôme, prevents -unwillingly of course - a gang led by "Le Grand J" from robbing the "Crédit Populaire", where he works. Having become a hero out of the blue, this new status allows him to woo Renée, the daughter of chief inspector Merlerin. What Merlerin does not know is that the man he has been trying to arrest for years, "Le Grand J" is in fact Joseph Jérôme, Fernand's father, who has disappeared for years...
The Wicked Go to Hell
Writer
Making his directorial debut, Robert Hossein also assumes the leading role, playing an escaped convict. Hossein and his fellow escapees cross the path of Marina Vlady, with whom they all fall in love. Alas for our "heroes," Vlady intends to avenge the death of her sweetheart at the hands of Hossein and his confreres. Not only do these heels go to Hell, but they do so with a spectacular flourish. Les Salauds Vont en Enfer was adapted by Rene Wheeler from a play by Frederic Dard.
M'sieur la Caille
Writer
Pépé la Vache, who coveted Fernande's love, denounced her protector: Dominique le Corse, who was arrested. But Fernande was attracted by Jesus the Quail, a guy of dubious manners. Intimidated by Pépé, the Quail moved away.