The Thief of Paris

Plot

In the opening scene, Georges Randal, the titular thief, breaks into a big house and begins to steal the valuable objects on display. A series of flashbacks (with occasional reversions to the present) then narrates the story of Randal's life. As an orphan, he is raised by his uncle along with his cousin Charlotte, who grows into an attractive young woman with whom he falls in love. When Georges reaches twenty-one and asks for the money his parents left him, he finds that his unscrupulous uncle has misappropriated the money, claiming to have lost it in poor investements. He is rejected as a suitor for Charlotte because he is now poor. She is then betrothed by her social-climbing father to a dim-witted aristocrat. Georges steals her fiance's family jewels. Charlotte intuitively knows the identity of the thief, but says nothing. Her future husband's family having been ruined by the theft, Charlotte's engagement is broken off by her father.

From then on, motivated by a sense of justice and desire for revenge, Randal follows a successful career as a gentleman thief, targeting the haute bourgeoisie. Along the way, he associates with Roger-La-Honte, a more experienced burglar who teaches him the trade, and Abbot La Margelle, a well-connected clergyman who doubles as a con man and criminal mastermind.

At the same time, he continues to navigate in bourgeois circles—including an old friend, Mouratet, who has become an assistant to a member of parliament, Courbassol. Mouratet offers to introduce Randal into political circles, unaware that Randal is a criminal and that his own wife is Randal's occasional lover and accomplice. As his aging uncle spends his time in the company of courtesans, Randal arranges for another of his own mistresses and accomplices, Geneviève, to become the uncle's permanent companion. Randal continues to commit burglaries with Roger, but the latter eventually grows tired of the danger and decides to retire.

Randal travels to Normandy along with Mouratet and Courbassol. There, he is tasked by his accomplices to find Cannonier, a veteran thief who has escaped from jail in Guiana, and warn him against returning to Paris where the police are waiting for him. Randal meets Cannonier, who tells him that in prison he discovered anarchist ideas, and that he wants to take part in the revolutionary struggle. Together, they rob hotel guests. But shortly afterward, Cannonier is recognized and shot dead by a police officer.

Randal's uncle suffers a stroke. As he lies dying, Randal robs him with the Abbot's help and falsifies his will—which was intended to disinherit both him and Charlotte—making them the heirs once again.

At the end of the film, Randal has achieved all his aims: he is married to Charlotte, is living in his uncle's house, and has recovered the money his parents left him, as well as having accumulated a fortune through his crimes. Charlotte says to him, 'You don't need to steal anymore', but he replies, 'You don't understand!'. He has a compulsion to go on, knowing that he will eventually be caught and that, despite Charlotte’s presence, he remains alone. The final scene shows him boarding the train back to Paris with the haul from his latest robbery.

Cast

Jean-Paul Belmondo as Georges Randal

Geneviève Bujold as Charlotte Randal

Christian Lude as Urbain Randal, uncle of Georges and father of Charlotte

Marie Dubois as Geneviève Delpiels

Julien Guiomar as Abbot Félix La Margelle

Paul Le Person as Roger Voisin a.k.a. Roger-La-Honte

Marlène Jobert as Broussaille, sister of Roger-La-Honte

Françoise Fabian as Ida

Bernadette Lafont as Marguerite

Roger Crouzet as Mouratet

Martine Sarcey as Renée Mouratet

Jacques Debary as Courbassol

Charles Denner as Cannonier