Failed Remake: 70s French Cult Series Actor Slams New Version Starring Clovis Cornillac

Originally created by Victor Vicas and screenwriter Claude Desailly, “The Tiger Brigades” was an outstanding TV series filmed from 1973 to 1982. Spanning six seasons and 36 episodes, the series offered a captivating journey through early 20th century France, following the adventures of Inspectors Valentin (Jean-Claude Bouillon), Terrasson (Pierre Maguelon), and Pujol (Jean-Paul Tribout). The series has been an integral part of French television heritage since it ended in 1983, with its theme music, a memorable piano piece by Claude Bolling, achieving iconic status.

This fascinating backdrop made its way to the big screen in 2006 with a film adaptation directed by Jérôme Cornuau. In the movie, the legendary brigades are portrayed by Clovis Cornillac, Edouard Baer, and Olivier Gourmet.

The film managed to attract just over 760,000 viewers at the time. This number is not shameful, but it was somewhat disappointing considering the star-studded cast. Although it wasn’t a masterpiece, the film was entertaining and well-crafted, featuring a fast-paced plot.

“But you’re going to burn bridges!”

However, Jean-Claude Bouillon, the original Inspector Valentin, did not share this positive view. In a riveting interview given in 2016 to the quarterly magazine Schnock, which dedicated several pages to the legendary series, the former inspector criticized the adaptation as “poorly done”, to the extent that he refused to be associated with the film’s promotion:

“The actors were great, but the adaptation was poorly executed. They did not stay true to the series’ spirit, trying instead to make something ‘Americanized’. At the time of the film’s release, I was working with Clovis Cornillac on the movie ‘The Serpent’, and he was playing Valentin. The public relations officer wanted us to do a joint interview for TF1 and France 2.

But after watching the film, I told him I couldn’t go because I didn’t like it. ‘But you’re going to burn bridges!’ he said to me. My career was behind me, so I didn’t go. I’m also quite bad at after-sales service.”

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