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Any Number Can Win

Any Number Can Win (Mélodie en sous-sol)

Movie · 1963 · 4 people

Henri Verneuil's 1963 heist and crime film Any Number Can Win, a French-Italian production known in France as Mélodie en sous-sol ("Melody in the Basement"), gives the leading roles to two of French cinema's biggest names, Jean Gabin and Alain Delon. In France it drew good reviews and a large audience of about 3.5 million tickets sold, and in Germany it played as Lautlos wie die Nacht.

The plot turns on a detailed plan by two gangsters to rob a casino in Cannes: a seasoned criminal and his younger partner, each trying to keep a flawless scheme on track. Beside Gabin and Delon the cast includes Viviane Romance, Jean Carmet, Henri Virlogeux, José Luis de Vilallonga, Dora Doll, Bernard Musson and Georges Wilson. Suspense and clashing characters are intertwined, and the film is counted among the better-liked European heist pictures.

The story adapts The Big Grab, a 1960 American novel by Zekial Marko, published under the pen name John Trinian. Michel Audiard, Albert Simonin and Verneuil wrote the screenplay together. The film opened in France on 19 March 1963 and in German cinemas on 23 August 1963, and runs about 118 minutes. StudioCanal is credited as production company.

DirectorHenri Verneuil
Production companyStudioCanal

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Cast

Only cast members with a profile on this site are listed.

Claude Cerval Actor · died at 51 Georges Wilson Georges Wilson Film actor · died at 88 Henri Attal Henri Attal Actor · died at 67 Laure Paillette Laure Paillette Film actor · died at 71

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Action & Thriller Fan Puts pace, tension and set pieces first; little patience for slow drama.

Hear "casino heist" and you expect a fast pace, but this film is in no hurry at all. Most of its roughly 118 minutes go into the plan and the preparation, so the first half is pretty calm. Once the Cannes scheme gets moving, though, the tension really climbs, and the friction between Gabin and Delon gives the scenes an extra charge. A satisfying heist classic if you have the patience.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Verneuil makes the genre's favourite material, the plan itself, the spine of the story. A script shared by Michel Audiard, Albert Simonin and Verneuil gives the clash of characters solid ground to play out in dialogue, and the real tension comes from the generational gap between the seasoned criminal and his young partner. Jean Gabin's heavy, settled presence and Alain Delon's restless energy balance each other well. Built on the classic preparation-then-execution pattern, the film trusts the rhythm of its editing more than surprise. To modern eyes some of the build-up may feel long, but for anyone who wants to see one of the better-liked European heist pictures it is still instructive viewing.

Yeşilçam Nostalgic A viewer raised on the classics, looking for warm storytelling and strong acting.

Seeing Jean Gabin and Alain Delon in the same film is a feast in itself for anyone who loves older cinema. Two great actors from two generations meet over a casino robbery, and the fine tension between experience and youth gives the story a human depth. Being adapted from a novel has given it a sturdy frame, too. One thing must be said, though: its heroes are criminals, so a viewer looking for a moral compass may find them hard to warm to. For those who simply want to savour masterly acting, it is an easy recommendation.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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