Crooks in Clover
A cult French gangster parody blending noir aesthetics with hilarious slang-heavy dialogue. It captures the clash between old-school mob codes and the swinging 60s youth culture through the eyes of a reluctant godfather.
Crooks in Clover
Crooks in Clover

Les Tontons flingueurs

27 November 1963 France 111 min ⭐ 7.7 (549)
Director: Georges Lautner
Cast: Lino Ventura, Bernard Blier, Francis Blanche, Claude Rich, Pierre Bertin
Crime Comedy
The Generation Gap Friendship and Loyalty Parody of Masculinity Language as a Weapon

Crooks in Clover - Characters & Cast

Character Analysis

Fernand Naudin

Lino Ventura

Archetype: The Reluctant Hero / The Straight Man
Key Trait: Unflappable stoicism

Motivation

He is motivated solely by his promise to his dying friend, the Mexican. He has no desire for power but feels bound by a code of honor to protect Patricia and the business.

Character Arc

Fernand starts as a settled businessman who wants nothing to do with crime. He is dragged back in by duty, proves he is tougher than all the current bosses combined, and ultimately secures Patricia's future before (presumably) returning to his quiet life.

Raoul Volfoni

Bernard Blier

Archetype: The Buffoon / The Incompetent Villain
Key Trait: Cowardly arrogance

Motivation

Greed and jealousy. He feels entitled to the Mexican's empire and is insulted that an outsider like Fernand was chosen over him.

Character Arc

Raoul begins as an arrogant rival believing he deserves the throne. After repeated failures and beatings, he essentially becomes a comic relief sidekick, begrudgingly respecting Fernand's authority.

Maître Folace

Francis Blanche

Archetype: The Consigliere
Key Trait: Pedantic bureaucrat

Motivation

Order and legality within illegality. He cares about the books balancing and the organization running smoothly, regardless of who is in charge.

Character Arc

The notary serves as the narrator and guide to the criminal underworld's finances. He remains constant, transitioning his loyalty from the Mexican to Fernand without skipping a beat.

Patricia

Sabine Sinjen

Archetype: The Rebellious Daughter
Key Trait: Naive manipulation

Motivation

Freedom and amusement. She wants to live her life without the interference of her father's "associates."

Character Arc

She goes from a spoiled, manipulative teenager who tries to play the gangsters against each other to a young bride, seemingly settling down with her quirky fiancé Antoine.

Cast

Lino Ventura as Fernand Naudin
Bernard Blier as Raoul Volfoni
Francis Blanche as Maître Folace
Claude Rich as Antoine Delafoy
Pierre Bertin as Adolphe Amédée Delafoy
Jean Lefebvre as Paul Volfoni
Sabine Sinjen as Patricia, la fille de Louis "le Mexicain"
Robert Dalban as Jean, le majordome
Horst Frank as Théo
Venantino Venantini as Pascal
Mac Ronay as Bastien
Jacques Dumesnil as Louis « le Mexicain »
Paul Mercey as Henri
Dominique Davray as Madame Mado
Henri Cogan as Freddy