There Once Was a Cop
Il était une fois un flic...
Synopsis
Campana, a commissar at the drugs bureau of Paris police gets an undercover job in Nice to catch an Italian-French mafia boss. As he slips into the identity of a gangster's brother, who was already killed, he has to play the role of a loving husband with child - something that is not so easy for a confirmed single like Campana. Unfortunately American killers chase behind the Nice mafia clan too, in order to get control of French drug trades to USA.
Top Cast
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Michael Lonsdale
Commissioner Lucas
Michel Constantin
Commissioner Campana alias Louis Lopez
Mireille Darc
Christine alias Françoise
Robert Dalban
Commissioner Chauvet, Superintendent in Nice
Daniel Ivernel
Ligmann
Venantino Venantini
Felice, killer
Hervé Hillien
Bertrand, Christine's son
Henri Guybet
PJ inspector
Robert Castel
Rodriguez, Manoni's man
Giuliano Esperanti
Second killer
Jean-Jacques Moreau
PJ inspector
Charles Southwood
Narcotic Bureau agent
Dado Crostarosa
One of the two young Portuguese
Jean Luisi
Second taxi driver
Fransined
First taxi driver
Phyllis Major
Marianne Halifax
Ghislain Oyac
Manoni's secretary
Paul Clerici
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Georges Lautner
- Screenplay & Story
- Georges Lautner, Francis Veber
- Original Score
- Eddie Vartan
- Original Title
- Il était une fois un flic...
- Country of Origin
- France
- Spoken Languages
- French, Italian
- Runtime
- 1h 35m
- Production Studios
- Gaumont International, Rizzoli Film
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Georges Lautner
Georges Lautner, Francis Veber, Richard Caron
Eddie Vartan
Maurice Fellous
Michelle David
Alain Poiré
Department Leadership Roster
Georges Lautner
Director
Eddie Vartan
Original Music Composer
Georges Lautner
Screenplay
Francis Veber
Screenplay
Maurice Fellous
Director of Photography
Michelle David
Editor
Alain Poiré
Producer
Damien Lanfranchi
Production Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for There Once Was a Cop.
Featured In Curated Collections
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Frequently Asked Questions About There Once Was a Cop
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is There Once Was a Cop about?
Campana, a commissar at the drugs bureau of Paris police gets an undercover job in Nice to catch an Italian-French mafia boss. As he slips into the identity of a gangster's brother, who was already killed, he has to play the role of a loving husband with child - something that is not so easy for a confirmed single like Campana. Unfortunately American killers chase behind the Nice mafia clan too, in order to get control of French drug trades to USA.
Who directed There Once Was a Cop?
There Once Was a Cop was directed by Georges Lautner.
Who stars in There Once Was a Cop?
The principal cast of There Once Was a Cop includes Michael Lonsdale, Michel Constantin, Mireille Darc, Robert Dalban, Daniel Ivernel.
When was There Once Was a Cop released and how long is it?
There Once Was a Cop was released in 1972 with a total runtime of 1h 35m.
Who composed the musical score for There Once Was a Cop?
The original motion picture soundtrack for There Once Was a Cop was composed by Eddie Vartan.
Is There Once Was a Cop based on a book or true story?
There Once Was a Cop is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Richard Caron".
What is the age rating and content advisory for There Once Was a Cop?
There Once Was a Cop holds official age classifications: FR: TP.