Born in a French prison in 1775, François Eugène Vidocq becomes a professional thief and is later appointed chief of Parisian police.
In 1805, twenty-nine-year-old Eugene-François Vidocq (George SANDERS) is serving time in jail after a life of petty crimes and romantic conquests. After Vidocq and his cellmate, Emile Vernet (Akim TAMIROFF), escape from jail, they take refuge with Emile's family in Paris. Later, posing as soldiers in Napoleon's army, the men leave for Marseilles. There, in a waterfront café, Vidocq meets singer Loretta (Carole LANDIS), but their romance ends when Vidocq steals a jeweled garter from her. A short time later, Loretta marries Chief of Police Richet (Gene LOCKHART), the man who gave her the garter. In a cemetery on the road back to Paris, Vidocq and Emile rescue a pet monkey belonging to the Marquise de Pierremont (Alma KRUGER). After catching a glimpse of the marquise's jewels, Vidocq wrangles an invitation to her castle. The marquise's son Houdon (Alan NAPIER), the Minister of Police, has two daughters -- beautiful Therese (Signe HASSO), who becomes infatuated with Vidocq, and precocious Mimi (Jo Ann MARLOWE). Learning from Houdon that Richet is on the trail of the "Casanova" bandit, Vidocq decides to steal the jewels immediately and hide them on the castle grounds. When Richet fails to capture the thief, Houdon fires him. Vidocq then pretends to discover the hidden jewels and is appointed to Richet's vacated position. Vidocq reveals to Emile his plans to use his new position to rob the Bank of Paris and, in preparation for the robbery, hires Emile's relatives as bank guards. One day, as he leaves the bank, Vidocq encounters Loretta, who recognizes him and pressures him into meeting her that night at a modiste's shop. Worried that Loretta will expose him, Vidocq orders Emile to carry out the robbery that night. Later that day, at the marquise's request, Therese and Mimi, accompanied by Emile and Vidocq, deposit her jewels in the bank. When they are alone, Therese tells Vidocq of her love for him and also reveals her knowledge that he stole her mother's jewels. She then begs him to remain in his job as an honest policeman. Because he returns Therese's love, Vidocq agrees to her request. After he tells Emile's family that he will not participate in the robbery, Vidocq leaves for his meeting with Loretta, followed by an enraged Emile. When Vidocq arrives at the modiste's, he discovers that Loretta has been killed by her jealous husband, who then committed suicide. Emile tries to kill Vidocq but is himself killed in the ensuing struggle. Vidocq confesses his crimes, and is pardoned when he agrees to make reparations. His name cleared, Vidocq marries Therese and begins a new life on the side of the law.
The autobiography of elegant criminal, François Eugène Vidocq, from his birth in a French jail in 1775 to his appointment as chief of police of Paris where he intends to rob the city bank. Along the way, he escapes from jail with Emile, who becomes his partner in crime, poses as a lieutenant to rob a showgirl of her ruby garter, and steals the jewels of a marquise in whose home he's a guest. He's also posed as an artist's model for a portrait of St. George (Emile's face is the dragon's), and the marquise's granddaughter falls in love first with his visage and then him. Can she help him slay his own dragons, especially when the showgirl reappears and the bank vault beckons?—<[email protected]>
In this wry, satiric comedy of manners, Napoleonic Era con man Eugene Francois Vidocq uses his considerable sophistication, charm, and powers of seduction to rise from extreme poverty to become Chief of Police in Paris where he plans to rob the city's seemingly impregnable bank.—Gabe Taverney ([email protected])
The rogue (George Sanders) who would later call himself Eugène François Vidocq is born in a prison cell, the 12th child of a woman who steals a loaf of bread each time she needs shelter to give birth. As the boy grows into a man, he is constantly in and out of jail. As the story begins, he and his cut-purse cellmate and associate, Emile Vernet (Akim Tamiroff), escape using a file hidden in a birthday cake provided by Vernet's aunt Ernestine (Gisela Werbisek).
While making their way to Paris, they are hired to pose for a painter (Fritz Leiber), Vidocq as Saint George and Vernet as the dragon. As the church painting nears completion, the pair steal the horse on which Vidocq is posing. In Paris, Uncle Hugo (Vladimir Sokoloff), the head of Vernet's criminal family, decides the safest place for the fugitives is in the army. He has a forger relative provide Vidocq with a fake commission as Lieutenant "Rousseau." While in Marseille, waiting to ship out to serve in Napoleon's campaign in Egypt, Vidocq encounters a singer named Loretta (Carole Landis). She is intrigued with him, while he is more attracted to her ruby garter. Accompanying her when she goes to meet her boring admirer Richet (Gene Lockhart), Vidocq manages to steal the garter.
After two years, Vidocq and Vernet leave the army. Returning to Paris, they make a detour around the church adorned by their likenesses. They come across the jewel-laden Marquise De Pierremont (Alma Kruger). Vidocq wrangles an invitation to her chateau after retrieving her pet monkey from a cemetery (where he also claims to be a relation of a Vidocq buried there). He is a bit alarmed when he discovers that his intended victim's son-in-law is the Minister of Police (Alan Napier), but also enchanted by the official's daughter Therese (Signe Hasso). Unbeknownst to him, she has fallen in love with the image of Saint George, and is greatly disturbed by the painting's uncanny resemblance to their guest. Vidocq and Vernet steal and hide the Marquise's jewels, intending to return for them later.
However, when the minister fires Richet, who is now his chief of police, for not recovering the jewels, Vidocq devises a much grander scheme. Through "deduction," he leads the minister to the hiding place of the jewels, and wins for himself Richet's old job. In that capacity, he gets Vernet's entire band of criminal relatives hired at the Bank of Paris, which he intends to rob.
A complication arises when he bumps into Loretta, who turns out to have married Richet. After learning his new identity, Loretta blackmails Vidocq into resuming their relationship. Vidocq tells Vernet to go ahead with the robbery that night. That day, he goes out walking with Therese and her younger sister Mimi. When they are alone, Therese informs him that she has figured out that he stole the jewels. However, she does not care. She is quite willing to follow him, even if it means embarking on a life of crime. Meanwhile, a jealous Richet bursts in on Loretta as his wife waits for Vidocq at a hat store. Richet threatens to kill himself. Instead, in a fit of anger brought on by Loretta's cold response, he shoots and kills her.
With that impediment out of the way, Vidocq informs Vernet's family that he has changed his mind; he will hunt them down if they go through with the robbery. Nearly everyone is content with their new jobs at the bank - except Vernet, who ambushes his former friend, forcing Vidocq to kill him. Vidocq confesses his past crimes to the minister and the Marquise. Because he has truly repented and changed, he is forgiven by all of the De Pierremonts and welcomed into the family as he marries Therese.
