Pépé Le Moko

press release: France | 1937 | 35mm | 94 min. | French with English subtitles

Director: Julien Duvivier; Cast: Jean Gabin, Mireille Balin, Marcel Dalio

The great Gabin stars as the title character, a gangster hiding out in Algiers’ Casbah in this deliriously romantic and fatalistic classic. Safe from the police, he meets a Parisian tourist and falls in love...but betrayal is at hand. A film that inspired at least two American remakes and one infamous cartoon skunk, Pépé is one of the most influential and popular movies of the 1930s.

After a nearly 16-month hiatus, big screen movies are making their comeback at the UW Cinematheque’s regular venue, 4070 Vilas Hall! Beginning Wednesday June 30, the Cinematheque will commence six weeks of free screenings beginning with Leo McCarey’s Make Way for Tomorrow, a classic tearjerker that was originally scheduled for April 2020. The summer lineup includes canonized comedies, action blockbusters, international thrillers, contemporary gems from Asia, the complete American works of French superstar Jean Gabin, a three-film salute to Charles Bronson in honor of his centennial, and more!

Summer programming will take place on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings and all feature films will be screened from original or archival 35mm prints. Admission, as always, is free and open to the public. Seating will be limited and socially distanced according to current UW-Madison policies. When possible, additional showtimes have been added to accommodate more viewers. All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public.