Copyright 31 December 1965 by Les Films du Siecle—Produzioni Artische Internazionali. New York opening at the Paris: 18 April 1966. U.S. release through International Classics: 18 April 1966. Australian release through 20th Century-Fox: 29 September 1966. Sydney opening at the Embassy. 102 minutes (U.S.); 111 minutes (Australia).
French release title: Métamorphose des cloportes.
SYNOPSIS: Three French thieves make plans to rob a pawnbroker's shop, located next door to a funeral parlor.
COMMENT: "Cloportes" is really off-beat and highly original in script and direction, and comes with a top-flight cast including Lino Ventura, Charles Aznavour, Irina Demick, Pierre Brasseur and François Rosay. It's all so grippingly suspenseful, I would regard it as one of the best films of the year. In my opinion, it easily outshone most of the films that were highly publicized. Would you believe that Fox's publicity man had no idea what the title meant? I had to tell him and the other journalists at the preview screening that it meant "The Metamorphosis of the Wood Lice", a very appropriate title in view of what the thieves did to gain access from the funeral parlor to the pawnbroker's shop.
French release title: Métamorphose des cloportes.
SYNOPSIS: Three French thieves make plans to rob a pawnbroker's shop, located next door to a funeral parlor.
COMMENT: "Cloportes" is really off-beat and highly original in script and direction, and comes with a top-flight cast including Lino Ventura, Charles Aznavour, Irina Demick, Pierre Brasseur and François Rosay. It's all so grippingly suspenseful, I would regard it as one of the best films of the year. In my opinion, it easily outshone most of the films that were highly publicized. Would you believe that Fox's publicity man had no idea what the title meant? I had to tell him and the other journalists at the preview screening that it meant "The Metamorphosis of the Wood Lice", a very appropriate title in view of what the thieves did to gain access from the funeral parlor to the pawnbroker's shop.