Michel Modo

Michel Modo

Born: March 30, 1937
Died: September 24, 2008
in Carpentras, Vaucluse, France
Michel Modo, born Michel Henri Louis Goi at Carpentras (Vaucluse) (born March 30, 1937 - died September 25, 2008), was a French actor and humorist. Modo died of cancer on September 25, 2008 in Vaires-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne).

He is best known in France for having formed in the late 1950s a comedy duo, Grosso et Modo, with actor Guy Grosso. The duo appeared in many movies with Louis de Funès, among which the series of Gendarmes de Saint Tropez, where he will played the role of Constable Berlicot alongside Michel Galabru, Jean Lefebvre and Christian Marin. They were also Laflûte and Quince in The Dream of a Summer Night by Jean-Christophe Averty.

Between 1993 and 1997 he is one of the recurring actors in the television series Highlander as Maurice Lolande, humorous character characterizing the average French person.

In December 2005, he stars in the television series Plus belle la vie alongside Colette Renard. He plays a bum philosopher disguised as Santa Claus.

He also dubbed several recurring characters in the French version of the animated series The Simpsons. At his sudden death in 2008 at the age of 71, when dubbing the last episodes of season 19, he was replaced on the spot by Gérard Rinaldi, who died in his turn from cancer on March 2, 2012.

Movies for Michel Modo...

Poltergay
Title: Poltergay
Character: Henri "Nanny" Bernier
Released: October 25, 2006
Type: Movie
Marc and Emma move into a new house but have no idea that their basement was a gay nightclub. To make matters worse, the club was destroyed by fire, and now the house is haunted by the ghosts of five gay clubbers.
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The Masked Avenger: Lagardere
Title: The Masked Avenger: Lagardere
Character: Ambassadeur
Released: December 25, 2003
Type: Movie
France, 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIII. When a dear friend, the Duke of Nevers, is treacherously assassinated by a powerful relative, a skilled swordsman, the noble Henri de Lagardère, seeks his rightful vengeance as he tries to protect the innocent life of the duke's last heir.
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Louis de Funès ou le pouvoir de faire rire
Title: Louis de Funès ou le pouvoir de faire rire
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 2003
Type: Movie
A documentary on Louis de Funès based on unseen archives and film extracts, interviews from close friends and comedy specialists.
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Title: Relic Hunter
Character: Hugo Murnau
Released: September 25, 1999
Type: TV
Sydney Fox is a professor and globe-trotting "relic hunter" who looks for ancient artifacts to return to museums and/or the descendants of the original owner. She is aided by her linguistic assistant Nigel and occasionally by her somewhat air-headed secretary Claudia. She often ends up battling rival hunters seeking out artifacts for the money.
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Title: Mélissol
Character: Zanzi
Released: September 19, 1999
Type: TV
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Title: Robinson Sucroë
Character: M. Floyd
Released: January 16, 1995
Type: TV
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Faites comme chez nous
Title: Faites comme chez nous
Character: Georges Despeu
Released: May 20, 1993
Type: Movie
Georges Despeu, an employee without stature or fortune, is about to receive his daughter Barbara whom he has not seen since her early childhood. She returns from the United States to meet her father. With the complicity of his brother, guardian of the Monjambier's property, Georges decides to settle in the luxurious villa and to play the rich owner not to disappoint his daughter. Things get complicated when, on the one hand, two gangsters on the run take refuge in the villa, and on the other hand, Mr. Monjambier decides to try his luck with his secretary and also arrives at the villa to spend a fraudulent weekend.
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Title: Highlander: The Series
Character: Maurice
Released: October 3, 1992
Type: TV
Duncan MacLeod cannot die -- he is a 400-year-old immortal, who has seen his share of humanity's history. Still, he risks his life in battle against other immortals and tries to save people from harm.
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Bienvenue à Bellefontaine
Title: Bienvenue à Bellefontaine
Character: Persouard
Released: January 1, 1992
Type: Movie
Sentenced to ten years in prison for a murder he did not commit, Gaëtan Lantier has just been cleared thanks to the confession the real criminal made before he died. Back in Bellefontaine, his village, the good man is the host of a party organized in his honor. As a gift, the mayor and the inhabitants give him a magnificent hunting rifle. At first disconcerted, Gaëtan pulls himself together and tells the audience that his years of imprisonment give him the right to kill the biggest bastard in the village. Most of the inhabitants have something to reproach themselves with and fear being taken for the silhouette, the one who witnessed the murder but never made himself known, even though his testimony would have cleared Gaëtan. Fear invades Bellefontaine and everyone tries to coax Gaëtan with attentions and gifts.
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My Mother's Castle
Title: My Mother's Castle
Character: Postman
Released: October 26, 1990
Type: Movie
To his chagrin, young Marcel Pagnol and his family move back to their home in Marseilles, France, far from their pastoral holiday cottage in the hills. Determined, Marcel makes the long voyage back to the cottage on foot and lands himself in trouble. One day Marcel's father discovers a shortcut to the cottage, but it requires trespassing. Despite their trepidations, Marcel and his family begin using the secret trail to reach their cottage.
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My Father's Glory
Title: My Father's Glory
Character: Postman
Released: August 29, 1990
Type: Movie
Raised by his science teacher father, Joseph Pagnol, and seamstress mother Augustine, young Marcel grows up during the turn of the century in awe of his rationalist dad. When the family takes a summer vacation in the countryside, Marcel becomes friends with Lili, who teaches him about rural life.
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The Female Executioner
Title: The Female Executioner
Character: Commissioner
Released: January 15, 1986
Type: Movie
Martine is a tough female cop trying to solve the kidnapping of young Caroline by a gang of pornographers. She already has an accomplice inside the gang feeding her information, but progress is hindered by her own police commissioner. In her private live, Martine likes to hang around with her male colleagues, swapping a younger cop for the more mature and experienced Jean.
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S.O.S homme seul
Title: S.O.S homme seul
Released: June 7, 1984
Type: Movie
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Title: La Chance aux chansons
Character: Self
Released: March 26, 1984
Type: TV
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Les Planqués du régiment
Title: Les Planqués du régiment
Character: Adjudant Badubec
Released: June 15, 1983
Type: Movie
A young engineer, inventor of a dangerous ping-pong ball, which makes him pursued by the American and Russian secret services, finds refuge in a military camp where his irruption sows some semi-catastrophes.
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The Gendarme and the Gendarmettes
Title: The Gendarme and the Gendarmettes
Character: Jules Berlicot
Released: October 3, 1982
Type: Movie
Cruchot's police office moves into a new building. They do not only get high tech equipment, but also four young female police officers to educate. All of them scramble to work with them -- and cause pure chaos while being distracted by the fine ladies. Then they get into real trouble when one after the other of their female colleagues is kidnapped.
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Title: Champs-Elysées
Character: Self
Released: January 16, 1982
Type: TV
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Les Bidasses aux grandes manœuvres
Title: Les Bidasses aux grandes manœuvres
Character: le sergent Merlin
Released: October 28, 1981
Type: Movie
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Pétrole ! Pétrole !
Title: Pétrole ! Pétrole !
Character: Alain Terrieur
Released: January 1, 1981
Type: Movie
Le PDG d'une importante société pétrolière voit ses manoeuvres illicites déjouées par un jeune concurrent dont la femme n'est autre que la fille de son fournisseur arabe.
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The Miser
Title: The Miser
Character: La merluche
Released: March 5, 1980
Type: Movie
Based on Molière's play. The children of Harpagon, Cléante and his sister Elise, are each in love but they still haven't spoken to their father yet. Harpagon is a miser who wants to choose the right man and the right woman for his children. When Cléante, at last, tries to speak to Harpagon, the old man informs the family that he wants to marry Marianne, the young girl loved by Cléante. Unaware of his son's sorrow, Harpagon doesn't understand why Cléante has become so angry with him.
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The Fabulous Adventures of the Legendary Baron Munchausen
Title: The Fabulous Adventures of the Legendary Baron Munchausen
Character: Cavallo (Voice)
Released: October 24, 1979
Type: Movie
The Fabulous Adventures of the legendary Baron Munchausen is a French animated feature from Jean Image of 1978, inspired by the adventures of Baron Munchausen. Baron Munchausen is wont to bring his friends to tell them about his imaginary exploits.
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We'll Grow Thin Together
Title: We'll Grow Thin Together
Character: Le clerc de notaire
Released: August 15, 1979
Type: Movie
Victor is a screenwriter whose last work about the Marechal Pétain is refused by his producer. To add insult to injury, he tells Victor he is paunchy. The unfortunate man becomes obsessed by his weight. He goes out of his way to lose pounds, abetted by his wife, Corinne, who puts him on a reducing diet. He must also go to a health center where he takes exercise. Nothing really works. And one day, in a brewery, he cannot withstand his diet anymore and he has a gastronomic meal. Desperate, he tries his luck at a weight watchers reunion.
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The Gendarme and the Creatures from Outer Space
Title: The Gendarme and the Creatures from Outer Space
Character: Jules Berlicot
Released: January 31, 1979
Type: Movie
The bungling inspector Cruchot finds himself trying to save the residents of St. Tropez from some oil-drinking humanoid aliens. The only way to tell the aliens from the real people, besides their constant thirst for oil-products, is that they sound like empty garbage cans when you touch them. Chaos is ahead.
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Liebesgrüße aus der Lederhose 5. Teil: Die Bruchpiloten vom Königssee
Title: Liebesgrüße aus der Lederhose 5. Teil: Die Bruchpiloten vom Königssee
Character: Konrad Zillich
Released: December 23, 1978
Type: Movie
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Les coucous
Title: Les coucous
Character: Georges Despeu
Released: October 27, 1978
Type: Movie
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Sadsacks In the Boarding School
Title: Sadsacks In the Boarding School
Character: Sergent Michaud
Released: May 17, 1978
Type: Movie
1978, France. Young recruits are secretly digging an underground tunnel to get to the boarding school for girls, located in front of their barracks. Sexual girls are digging a tunnel towards...
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The Centipede Is Tap Dancing
Title: The Centipede Is Tap Dancing
Character: Le gendarme
Released: September 25, 1977
Type: Movie
When they get wind that Herman Goering wants the Venus de Milo statue removed from the Louvre and added to his private collection of stolen artworks, three Frenchmen decide to take action.
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Title: Police Commissioner Moulin
Character: Inspecteur Janin
Released: August 4, 1976
Type: TV
The series follows the adventures of lighthearted Jean-Paul Moulin, a police Commissaire, and his team as they solve crimes.
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The Smurfs and the Magic Flute
Title: The Smurfs and the Magic Flute
Character: Pirlouit (voix)
Released: January 21, 1976
Type: Movie
The evil knight Torchesac, who is at the service of the sinister lord of La Mortaille, gets a very powerful magic flute and uses it for evil purposes. Johan and Pirlouit, assisted by the magician Homnibus, travel to the land of the Smurfs, the only manufacturers of this sort of instrument, to get a new one and battle the usurpers.
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Title: 30 millions d'amis
Character: Self
Released: January 6, 1976
Type: TV
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The Seventh Company Has Been Found
Title: The Seventh Company Has Been Found
Character: Le soldat allemand 'groupir'
Released: December 10, 1975
Type: Movie
The second part of the Seventh Company adventures.
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Title: Système 2
Character: Self
Released: January 19, 1975
Type: TV
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Musidora
Title: Musidora
Character: Anatole Biscarlet
Released: December 29, 1973
Type: Movie
Jean-Christophe Averty, a French television director and video artist pioneeer, retraces here the life story of Musidora, known for her signature role in the adventure serial.
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The Edifying and Joyous Story of Colinot
Title: The Edifying and Joyous Story of Colinot
Released: October 24, 1973
Type: Movie
Colinot's world is turned upside down when his fiancee is kidnapped.
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Title: Midi trente
Character: Self
Released: March 6, 1972
Type: TV
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Ubu enchaîné
Title: Ubu enchaîné
Released: October 2, 1971
Type: Movie
Father Ubu, grotesque king and symbol of the tyranny of power in Ubu king, decides to become a slave to acquire real power. This is the first sequel to "Ubu roi" (1965) directed by Averty.
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Herminie
Title: Herminie
Character: Jean-Baptise
Released: September 9, 1971
Type: Movie
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Le Cri du cormoran, le soir au-dessus des jonques
Title: Le Cri du cormoran, le soir au-dessus des jonques
Released: February 10, 1971
Type: Movie
Alfred Mullanet, an unlucky player who lives on his wife's income, becomes in a few moments the object of interest of two thugs, Kruger and Mister K.
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Title: Samedi soir
Character: Self
Released: January 9, 1971
Type: TV
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Alice au pays des merveilles
Title: Alice au pays des merveilles
Released: December 22, 1970
Type: Movie
Alice sets off in pursuit of a mysterious white rabbit in a hurry. After a dizzying fall into a deep well, she discovers a strange world populated by beasts who behave like humans. She changes size, is invited to a wacky tea-time party and becomes a witness to a momentous trial conducted by the Queen of Hearts.
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The Gendarme Takes Off
Title: The Gendarme Takes Off
Character: Jules Berlicot
Released: October 28, 1970
Type: Movie
The whole clique of Cruchot's police station is retired. Now he lives with his rich wife in her castle - and is bored almost to death. He fights with the butler, because he isn't even allowed to do the simple works. But when one of the clique suffers from amnesia after an accident, all of the others reunite and kidnap him, to take him on a tour to their old working places and through their memories. In their old uniforms they turn St. Tropez upside down.
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A Midsummer Night's Dream
Title: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Released: December 25, 1969
Type: Movie
Shakespeare wrote this fantastic comedy in 1594. It features Lysander and Hermia, whose love is thwarted by Hermia's father, who wishes to marry her off to Demetrius, himself loved by Helena. In a magical forest, the couple cross paths with Obéron, king of the elves, who is quarreling with his wife and in possession of love potions.
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The Gendarme Gets Married
Title: The Gendarme Gets Married
Character: Jules Berlicot
Released: October 30, 1968
Type: Movie
The Saint-Tropez police launch a major offensive against dangerous drivers. Marechal Cruchot (Louis de Funès) relishes the assignment, which he pursues with a manic zeal. Cruchot is after an offending driver, who turns out to be Josépha (Claude Gensac), the widow of a highly regarded police colonel. When they meet, Cruchot falls instantly in love....
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Rita the Field Marshal
Title: Rita the Field Marshal
Character: Fritz Vogel's Assistant
Released: December 21, 1967
Type: Movie
A waitress helps a scientist flee the Nazis.
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Shock Troops
Title: Shock Troops
Character: Le juif torturé
Released: April 5, 1967
Type: Movie
A French resistance group frees twelve captured soldiers from a German prison camp, but apparently there is an additional prisoner among them who is suspected of being an enemy spy.
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Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At!
Title: Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At!
Character: Cross-Eyed German Soldier
Released: December 8, 1966
Type: Movie
During World War II, two French civilians and a downed British Bomber Crew set out from Paris to cross the demarcation line between Nazi-occupied Northern France and the South. From there they will be able to escape to England. First, they must avoid German troops - and the consequences of their own blunders.
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The Restaurant
Title: The Restaurant
Character: Petit-Roger, le serveur lèche-bottes
Released: September 9, 1966
Type: Movie
A great French restaurant's owner, Monsieur Septime, is thrust into intrigue and crime, when one of his famous guests disappears.
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La 99ème minute
Title: La 99ème minute
Released: August 23, 1966
Type: Movie
Death live! In the middle of filming a detective drama, the main actor Gérard Gérard dies from a gunshot. This returning star was hated by her partners... So, suicide, accident or crime? The investigation takes place before our eyes until the 99th minute. Let the masks fall!
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Title: At Theatre Tonight
Character: Jean-Baptiste
Released: July 21, 1966
Type: TV
At Theater tonight is a TV show broadcasted from 25th August 1966 to 21st September 1985. The show is broadcast plays recorded in two or three days, during public performances at the Théâtre Marigny on the Champs-Élysées, or sometimes Edouard VII theater.
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The Gendarme in New York
Title: The Gendarme in New York
Character: Jules Berlicot
Released: October 28, 1965
Type: Movie
Sergeant Cruchot and his faithful comrades have been sent to the International Congress of Gendarmerie in N.Y.
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Killer Spy
Title: Killer Spy
Character: L'autre agent à bicyclette qui verbalise
Released: September 23, 1965
Type: Movie
The most secret agent Stanislas Dubois, tired of saving the world alone decides to retire and to start writing his memoirs. The enemies of humanity, progress and peace in the world found out about it and created an international network of espionage "13 columns". Unfortunately they platted a slot in the good old France. They should think better...
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Under Your Hat
Title: Under Your Hat
Character: Le collègue de François-Joseph
Released: September 3, 1965
Type: Movie
An illegal gambling den where players can lose millions... and the owners make their fortune.
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The Sucker
Title: The Sucker
Character: un douanier
Released: March 24, 1965
Type: Movie
In this Frenco-Italian gangster parody, a shop keeper on his way to an Italian holiday suffers a crash which totals his car. The culprit can only compensate his ruined trip by driving an American friends car from Napels to Bordeaux, but as it happens to be filled with such contraband as stolen money, jewelry and drugs, the involuntary and unwitting companions in crime soon attract all but recreational attention from the "milieu".
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Les Gorilles
Title: Les Gorilles
Character: A cycling agent
Released: December 23, 1964
Type: Movie
A confused pair of airport luggage carriers get involved in the disappearance of some suitcases.
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Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez
Title: Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez
Character: Jules Berlicot
Released: September 8, 1964
Type: Movie
The ambitious police officer Cruchot is transferred to St. Tropez. He's struggling with crimes such as persistent nude swimming, but even more with his teenage daughter, who's trying to impress her rich friends by telling them her father was a millionaire and owned a yacht in the harbor.
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La cloche
Title: La cloche
Released: January 1, 1964
Type: Movie
The misfortune of a young man who tries to keep a rendezvous and finds himself a prisoner in a bell.
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Bebert and the Train
Title: Bebert and the Train
Character: Un gendarme
Released: December 3, 1963
Type: Movie
The Martin family is shopping in a department store. Tiennot is responsible for looking after his little brother, Bébert, but he prefers to chase girls. On the train home, Tiennot leaves Bébert alone. On arrival, Bébert has disappeared. The Martin family sets out to find him.
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Gypsy Law
Title: Gypsy Law
Released: May 24, 1963
Type: Movie
The idyllic life of a beautiful gypsy girl is shattered when she runs away from a pre-arranged marriage to a member of her tribe. Away from the safety of her people, she encounters bigotry against her kind. A little girl feels sorry for the missing gypsy beauty and searches for a magic root that can cure the wandering gypsy from her wanderlust and bring her home again. Music, dance, ancient gypsy rituals, and colorful European scenery highlight this feature which takes a decidedly jaundiced view of the racial indignities suffered by the heroine.
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Carom Shots
Title: Carom Shots
Character: Le facteur
Released: May 15, 1963
Type: Movie
Paul Martin is the subservient brown-nosing youngster who needs quick advancement up the hierarchy to pay for the modern lifestyle he is buying on credit. Seeing that marrying his immediate superior's daughter will not get him the results he wants, he begins plotting the demise of the head of the company. The company itself specializes in holiday travel and unscrupulously brutalizes its customers for maximum profit, spending more thought on publicity gimmicks than customer service...
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All the Gold in the World
Title: All the Gold in the World
Character: Tony
Released: November 1, 1961
Type: Movie
Businessman Victor Hardy wants to buy the entire area around the small village of Cabosse. He claims that he wants to return to nature, but he also intends to profit by selling the water from the village fountain, which is reputed to enhance longevity. However old farmer Mathieu and his sons don't want to sell...
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The American Beauty
Title: The American Beauty
Character: Slovak
Released: September 29, 1961
Type: Movie
Marcel, a simple-minded factory worker, is tricked into buying a high-priced American convertable car by a widow determined not to let it fall into the hands of her late husband's secretary/secret lover. Once in pocession of the car, Marcel only encounters one bad luck episode after another with the excessive gasoline consumtion, his wife trying to sell it to make ammends meet, getting into traffic jams, accidently riding into a car wash with the top down, and more.