Eddie Constantine found a little time between his "Lemmy Caution" actioners to star in the tongue-in-cheek meller Les Truands (The Thieves). In flashback, the audience learns why 104-year-old Amedee (
Yves Robert) steals the watch belonging to the town mayor just before expiring. The film develops into a history of the watch-thievery business, told in anecdotal fashion. Constantine plays a Wild West timepiece-rustler who develops a sense of morality which puts him out of business; others in the cast include Noel-Noel as a bemused burglar and Jean Richard as an amorous crook. Les Truands was directed by Carlo-Rim with the same breeziness that he invested in his
Fernandel comedies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide