Algiers (1938)
Pepe le Moko, a French jewel thief, rules the tangled alleys of the Algiers Casbah, where the police cannot touch him but also cannot let him leave. When he falls for Gaby, a Parisian tourist who reminds him of the city he misses, his longing for the world outside becomes the trap that finishes him.
A close Hollywood remake of Julien Duvivier’s French hit Pépé le Moko (1937), released barely a year later, it made an American star of Hedy Lamarr in her first English-language role. Its fatalistic mood and Casbah setting are frequently cited as a template for Casablanca.
Background
John Cromwell directed Algiers for United Artists in 1938 as a close English-language remake of Julien Duvivier’s French film Pepe le Moko (1937), which had starred Jean Gabin. Charles Boyer takes the title role of the jewel thief hiding in the Casbah, and the picture gave Hedy Lamarr her first English-language role, making her an American star. The film received several Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor for Boyer and Best Supporting Actor for Gene Lockhart. Its fatalistic atmosphere and Casbah setting are often cited as an influence on Casablanca (1942).
What to watch for
Boyer’s performance is the anchor. Pepe is charming, weary and trapped, and the film keeps asking whether his love for Gaby is a way out or the thing that destroys him. The Casbah set, with its crowded alleys and rooftops, makes the city feel like a closed world, which is why the police surveillance and the chase scenes feel claustrophobic. If you can, compare the film with the Duvivier original to see what Hollywood changed in adapting the story, particularly around the romance and the final act.
