The Great Spy Chase (Les Barbouzes)

Georges Lautner made the 1964 French-Italian spy comedy Les Barbouzes, shown in the United States as The Great Spy Chase. Designed as a pastiche that both imitates and mocks the espionage films of its day, it is regarded as a cult film in France. Its title comes from the French slang word barbouze for a spy; the word originally meant a beard, later a false one, and from the early 1960s was used for both counter-espionage agents and spies.

The plot centres on agents from different countries trying to get hold of valuable weapons patents held by the young, attractive widow of an international arms dealer. The story presents these rival spies as typical, even caricatured, characters. Lino Ventura, Bernard Blier, Francis Blanche and Mireille Darc star, and these actors later reappeared in several of Lautner's films. Jess Hahn, Noël Roquevert, Robert Dalban, Charles Millot and Hubert Deschamps are also in the cast.

The film runs about 109 minutes. The screenplay is credited to Michel Audiard and Albert Simonin, with Audiard writing the dialogue. Michel Magne composed the music and Gaumont produced. In Germany it was shown as Mordrezepte der Barbouzes.