Les Tontons flingueurs – “The classics, that’s all that’s true!”, “Seen a hundred times but so jubilant!”, “Happy birthday!” : Internet users celebrate the 60th anniversary of the French cinema monument

“You have to admit… it’s brutal.” On this Sunday evening, while TMC is simultaneously rebroadcasting “Le Dîner de cons”, a classic of French cinema, France 2 pays tribute to the sixtieth anniversary of the essential “Tontons flingueurs”, another nugget of the seventh art highlighted by Lino’s performances Ventura, Bernard Blier and Francis Blanche, as well as the colorful responses of Michel Audiard. Because yes, this year, we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the release of “Tontons flingueurs”!

It was in 1963 that French cinema saw the birth of one of its greatest classics, under the leadership of director Georges Lautner. This Franco-German-Italian detective film tinged with black humor quickly became cult. It tells the story of Fernand Naudin, played by the inimitable Lino Ventura, a former criminal who became the owner of a tractor factory who finds himself at the head of a criminal enterprise. In addition to this new role, Fernaud Naudin must also watch over the young daughter of his late childhood friend, Louis, also called “The Mexican”. The prestigious cast is completed by renowned actors such as Bernard Blier, alias Raoul Volfoni, the “manager” of the games room, Francis Blanche, in the role of the “Mexican’s” notary, a mafioso as grotesque as he is threatening, and Jean Lefebvre , alias Paul, Raoul’s brother, undoubtedly the role which brings one of the most comic touches to the film. But “Les Tontons flingueurs” also owes part of its success to its original soundtrack, signed Michel Magne, which, in addition to the black and white and the staging, was able to contribute to the legendary atmosphere of the feature film. And the anecdotes surrounding the film are numerous, such as the famous kitchen scene, shot in good humor despite the technical constraints of the time. But if the characters played by Lino Ventura and his gang largely contributed to the success of the film, it was above all the richness and quality of the lines that hit the mark…

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“We don’t make films like Tontons flingueurs anymore…”

Ranging from deadpan humor to sharp puns, including the use of numerous slang terms which earned a dedicated poster, entire generations of spectators have been marked by the innumerable replicas of the movie.

Thanks to them, beyond its critical and public success upon its release, the film has survived the ages. As proof: each television rebroadcast is an event and the audiences still demonstrate the enthusiasm for the adventures of Fernand and his gang! 60 years after its release, on