- Lino Ventura, Le deuxième souffle, France, 1966. As the José Giovanni novel changed hands -producers, directors, backers – Gabin, then Meurisse were set to Gu, hunted by Ventura’s Commissaire Blot. Finally, Lino became the escaped convict chased by Meurisse’s cop – in another classic signed Jean-Pierre Melville.
- Jean-Pierre Darras, Un veuve en or, France-Italy-West Germany 1969. As per usual, prodigious dialoguist-turned-auteur Michel Audiard (129 scripts in 36 years) had cast anumber of reliable chums – but Meurisse was not able to join them.He headed upthe next one: Le cri du cormoran, le soir au-dessus des jonques, 1970.
- Yves Montand, Le Cercle rouge, France-Italy, 1970. Another potential cop for Melville – a rotten one, this time, hired not so much as a hit-man but as acrack shot (with the DTs). It became another of Montand’s finest hours. “Montand,” praised Melville, “is a perfectionist like me, enormously willing and dedicated.” Meurisse had starred in Melville’s previous classic, L’armée des ombres (The Army of Shadows), 1969.
Birth year: 1912Death year: 1979Other name: Casting Calls: 3