Smuggler's Ball is the English-language title for this French-Belgian seriocomedy. The action takes place along the borders separating Belgium, Holland and France. It is here that the worldly Pierre (J. P. Kieran) carries on a profitable smuggling operation, all the while romancing Siska (Christian Lenier), the daughter of a local customs official. Various subplots and secondary characters weave in and out as the plotline guides the viewer through the WW II years. Towards the end, the story shifts gears when the Benelux Frontier Agreement eliminates all government regulations. The film's screenplay is by Charles Spaak, himself the descendant of a Belgian political family, and thus well-versed in bureaucracy and red tape.
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Cast
22 people
Françoise Rosay
Gabrielle Demeuse
Known for
Bizarre, Bizarre
The Red Inn
Jean-Pierre Kérien
Pierre
Known for
Muriel, or the Time of Return
Trapeze
Charles Spaak
Henri Storck
Known for
Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Fritz Aeckerle
Christiane Lénier
Siska van Moll
Known for
The Nun
Georges Friedland
Daniel Ivernel
Jef - le délégué syndical
Known for
Borsalino and Co.
Ulysses
Franz Van Dorpe
Yves Deniaud
Le brigadier Achille Van Moll
Known for
Dr. Knock
Eva Ingeborg Scholz
Elsa Menzler
Known for
Welcome to Hartmanns
Karl John
Hans
Known for
Sorcerer
The Man Between
Henri Storck Director · Charles Spaak Writer
First release March 30, 1952 · Produced in Belgium, Germany · Languages Dutch, French
Production
EFilm
Production
Tevefilm
Production
Belgium · Germany
Produced in
Languages
Original title
Le Banquet des Fraudeurs
Original language
French
Spoken on screen
Dutch · French
Release dates
Germany · March 30, 1952
Aachen
Belgium · June 8, 1952
Theatrical
No release date listed for United States.
France
June 26, 1952
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Some details come from TheTVDB.