Happy New Year (La bonne année)

Happy New Year (La bonne année) Original Theatrical Poster Country France Italy Directed by Claude Lelouch Release Date 1973 Language French Studio Les Films 13 Rizzoli Film Main Cast Character Actor Simon Lino Ventura Françoise Françoise Fabian Charlot Charles Gérard The jeweler André Falcon

Happy New Year (La bonne année) is a 1973 French-Italian crime tragicomedy directed by Claude Lelouch and starring Lino Ventura and Francoise Fabian. Simon (Ventura) is released from prison under a New Year amnesty. The police secretly follows him in order to find the loot that Simon's accomplice successfully carried away after the heist of the jewelry store six years ago. Then the story of the heist and of Simon's love to Françoise is shown.

The movie is partially filmed in color (the scenes, set in 1966) and partially in B&W (the scenes of 1972).

An American remake Happy New Year was released in 1987, directed by John G. Avildsen and starring Peter Falk, Charles Durning and Tom Courtenay.

Note: the 1920x1080px HD release has large black bars on both sides. They are cropped from the screenshots below, hence the non-standard aspect ratio.

The following weapons were used in the film Happy New Year (La bonne année):

Handguns

Single Action Army

During the robbery Charlot holds a Single Action Army revolver (a rather strange choice for a French criminal in 1960s). The gun looks somewhat unnatural and may be some kind of replica or even a toy gun.

Colt Single Action Army with 5.5" barrel known as the "Artillery" model - .45 Long Colt

Charlot, under heavy disguice, holds a revolver. The barrel seems to be longer than on Artillery model but shorter than on the Cavalry model.

Another view of the revolver.

The barrel length seems to be just between the Artillery and Cavalry models.

Charlot threatens the jeweler (André Falcon).

Colt Detective Special

In a scene in the prison convict Michel Barbier (cameo of film director assistant Élie Chouraqui) uses a Colt Detective Special revolver to take hostages. Then it is revealed that the scene is only Barbier's imagination of the plan that he wants to fulfill by using a mockup revolver (for the mockup gun see below).

Colt Detective Special 1st Gen with Square Butt - .38 Special

Barbier takes a prison guard as hostage.

Barbier takes the prison director (Gérard Sire) as hostage.

Flintlock Pistol

A Flintlock Pistol is a Christmas gift from Charlot to Simon.

Saint Etienne 1810 Model An XIII Cavalry Pistol - .69 cal

Simon is delighted with the Christmas gift.

Submachine Guns

MAT-49

Gendarmes carry MAT-49 submachine guns during the arrest of Simon.

MAT-49 - 9x19mm

A gendarme in center holds a MAT-49.

A gendarme holds a MAT-49 with partially unfolded magazine (a really unique view of this gun).

A gendarme at the left holds a MAT-49.

Trivia

Mockup revolver

Michel Barbier who is in the same cell as Simon makes a mock revolver in Colt Detective Special style out of bread.

Barbier creates the mock revolver.