Pépé le Moko
1937 film by Julien Duvivier
Pépé le Moko ([pe.pe lə mo.ko]) is a 1937 French film directed by Julien Duvivier starring Jean Gabin, based on a novel of the same name by Henri La Barthe and with sets by Jacques Krauss. An example of the 1930s French movement known as poetic realism, it recounts the trapping of a gangster on the run in Algiers, who believes that he is safe from arrest in the Casbah.
Plot
Pépé le Moko, a famous thief, has hidden in the complex Casbah for nearly two years. Despite police efforts, he stays free thanks to local support and the area's maze-like streets. His life feels dull, but leaving risks capture. Inspector Slimane develops a teasing, unusual bond with Pépé, vowing to arrest him if he tries to escape.
One night, Pépé meets a glamorous Parisian visitor named Gaby, who is adorned with jewels, and falls for her. Meanwhile, Casbah resident Régis collaborates with the police, planning to use Pépé’s friend Pierrot as bait. Slimane, sensing Gaby’s attraction, brings her group to meet Pépé; her jewels fascinate his gang.
Tensions rise when Pierrot goes missing, leading Pépé to confront Régis.
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Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1241684. The Library of Congress control number is n98104877. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1937.
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This entry incorporates text from “Pépé le Moko” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.