The French Detective

When political thugs murder an opponent's volunteer and also kill a cop, chief inspector Verjeat believes the politician who hired them is as guilty as the murderous goon. Verjeat's pursuit of the councilman, Lardatte, gets him a warning from his superiors. When he embarrasses Lardatte while disarming a hostage (the dead volunteer's father), Verjeat is told he's being transferred within a week. He speeds up his hunt for the goon and, with Lefévre, one of his young detectives, he engineers a complicated scheme to buy more time before the transfer. How should Verjeat play out his values of honor and duty?

• 
  Pierre Granier-Deferre

• 
  Lino Ventura
  Commissioner Verjeat
• 
  Patrick Dewaere
  Inspector Lefèvre
• 
  Victor Lanoux
  Pierre Lardatte
• 
  Julien Guiomar
  General controller Ledoux
• 
  Pierre Tornade
  Commissioner Pignol
• 
  Françoise Brion
  Marthe Rigaux, boss of the brothel
• 
  Claude Rich
  Judge Delmesse
• 
  Michel Peyrelon
  Roger Portor, brother of Antoine
• 
  Claude Brosset
  Antoine Portor, Lardatte's henchman
• 
  Gérard Hérold
  Inspector Moitrié
• 
  Gérard Dessalles
  Inspector Ransac
• 
  Jacques Rispal
  Mr. Mercier, father of the young man killed
• 
  Patrick Feigelson
  Louis
• 
  Jean-Yves Gautier
  Letellier
• 
  Pierre Londiche
  Jeanvier, informer with the dog
• 
  Jacques Serres
  Inspector Martin
• 
  Christiane Tissot
  Marie Portor
• 
  Ève Francis
  Old lady
• 
  André Malfuson
  Estève
• 
  Michel Beaune
  Inspector Dupuy