The Sucker

On the way to a carefree Italian vacation, Antoine Marechal, a plain shopkeeper, crashes his car and is stranded. The driver who caused it offers restitution by letting Antoine drive a friend's car from Naples to Bordeaux. The vehicle, however, is packed with stolen money, jewelry and drugs, turning the drive into an accidental crime caper. As the unwitting passenger and a rotating cast of crooks stumble through villages and border towns, their misadventures become a comic test of nerves and improvisation. What begins as a simple ride across France grows into a farce of mistaken identities and near misses under the shadow of the criminal milieu.

Released in 1965, The Sucker was directed by Gerard Oury from an original screenplay by Georges Tabet, Andre Tabet and Marcel Jullian. It is a Franco Italian crime comedy known for Bourvil and Louis de Funes.

The Sucker is remembered as a landmark of 1960s French cinema. It helped cement the beloved Bourvil de Funes partnership and showcased a playful blend of road movie humor with light crime satire that influenced later comedies.

Critics welcomed the brisk pace and the chemistry between Bourvil and De Funes, with a light tone that satirizes criminals while keeping the comedy accessible. The film explores themes of luck versus wit as ordinary people drift into crime-adjacent chaos.

Box office data and worldwide gross are not provided here. The film was produced on a modest budget and remains a beloved staple of mid range French comedies, with popularity in several European markets.