Ces dames préfèrent le mambo

• Original release date: 29.01.58 (Paris, 116′)
• Country: France/Italy
• Director: Bernard Borderie
• Certification number / date: 26704 del 29.04.58
• Italian release date: 06/06/58
• Production companies: C.I.C.C., Paris (Francia) / Films Borderie, Paris (Francia) / S.N. Pathé Cinéma, Paris (Francia) / GE.S.I. Cinematografica (Gestione Studios Internazionali).
• Alternative titles (+ dates and running times):Italy – Le signore preferiscono il mambo; US – Dishonorable Discharge
• Cast: Eddie Constantine, Pascale Roberts, Lino Ventura, Lise Bourdin

The second release on 1958 was another primarily French production, the Eddie Constantine vehicle Ces dames préfèrent le mambo. Constantine had been a big star in France for some years, having played the protagonist in the successful Lemmy Caution series of films since 1953. And when not playing Lemmy Caution, he starred in numerous other films where he played the same character in all but name, of which this appears to have been one.

Almost all of the Constantine movies were really French films, but with the occasional Italian actor or crewmember participating (or credited as participating) in order to fulfill quotas. In this case the only Italian involvement would appear to be that of Lino Ventura – who made his career in France – and production company GES.I., who specialized in Franco-Italian co-productions.

According to James Travers on filmsdesfrance:

Eddie Constantine stars in this somewhat lackluster pastiche of film noir and American-style action/adventure, a formula that was hugely popular in France in the 1950s. Having played the redoubtable FBI agent Lemmy Caution in a dozen or so similar films, Eddie Constantine became one of the biggest stars in French cinema, much loved on account of his smooth American charm with accent to match. These films are very much a product of their time, intended to serve an intense craving for all things American, and consequently now appear very dated and rather shallow.

Watching Ces dames préfèrent le mambo you’d be mistaken for thinking you had tuned into an episode of the “Eddie Constantine show” – so strong is the lead actor’s presence in the film that everything else (including the magnificent Lino Ventura) appears superfluous. Like most of the films in this series, it is best appreciated as a well-intended parody of the B-movie genre, indeed a parody of itself. The most enjoyable part of this film is its last few scenes, culminating with a wonderfully camp send-up of the Lemmy Caution series. Pigez?