The Black Tulip (1964 film)

The Black Tulip (French: La Tulipe noire) is a French-Italian-Spanish film which reused some names in the novel of the same title by Alexandre Dumas but its story does not follow the novel. It is, essentially, a star vehicle for the popular French actor Alain Delon.

Synopsis
In June 1789 in the town of Roussillon, aristocrat Guillaume de Saint Preux leads a double life as a masked bandit known as the Black Tulip. The Black Tulip only robs rich aristocrats, so the local peasants regard him as a hero. Baron La Mouche is convinced Guillaume is the Tulip. During a robbery, he scars the Tulip's face, and hopes to use this to expose Guillaume.

Guillaume asks his twin brother Julien to impersonate him. Julien is much more gentler and idealistic than his brother. While the impersonation goes well at first, Julien is shocked to discover that Guillaume robs aristocrats for the thrill and the money, not for political reasons.

Julien falls in love with a peasant girl called Caroline, the daughter of the revolutionary Plantin. Caro helps teach Julien how to be a better swordsman.

When Baron La Mouche feels that there may be a connection between Guillaume de Saint Preux and the masked hero, he has Julien imprisoned. The original Black Tulip rescues him, but while Julien escapes, his brother is caught in the act and soon afterwards, executed.

In the end, Julien succeeds his brother as the Black Tulip. He rises to the occasion, and is now as good a fighter for justice as his brother was. He has also won the heart of Caroline, who supports him.

Cast

 * Alain Delon – Julien de Saint Preux / Guillaume de Saint Preux
 * Virna Lisi – Caroline „Caro“ Plantin
 * Adolfo Marsillach – Baron La Mouche
 * Dawn Addams – Marquise Catherine de Vigogne
 * Akim Tamiroff – Marquis de Vigogne
 * Laura Valenzuela – Lisette
 * George Rigaud – Polizeichef
 * Francis Blanche – Plantin
 * José Jaspe – Brignon
 * Robert Manuel – Prince Alexandre de Grassillac de Morvan-Le-Breau

Production
Delon made the film after seeing the success Jean-Paul Belmondo had in a swashbuckler, Cartouche (1962).

The film was shot on location in Spain, including Cáceres. Interiors were shot at the Victorine Studios in Nice.

Reception
The film was a big success at the French box office. It was the tenth most popular film of 1964. In France, it sold 3,107,512 admissions, grossing an estimated US$. In Italy and Germany, it sold 3,978,000 tickets. In the Soviet Union, it sold 47.8 million tickets, grossing an estimated US$million. In total, the film sold 0 tickets worldwide, grossing an estimated US$million in France and the Soviet Union.

Alain Delon used this opportunity to demonstrate his range as an actor by playing both brothers. In 1975, he would again play a masked swashbuckler in his Zorro film.