Pierre Granier-Deferre – Adieu, Poulet AKA The French Detective (1975)

Synopsis
In the French city of Rouen an election is marred by a fight between the supporters of two of the candidates. In the fracas a man is beaten to death and the killer then shoots a passing police officer! The officer has time to warn his colleagues that the killer is Proctor, a well-known thug whose brother is campaigning on behalf of law and order candidate Lardatte! Commissaire Verjeat’s pursuit of Proctor is hampered by Lardatte for whom he has a personal dislike and misses no opportunity to humiliate. As a result he then finds himself with a very short time to capture Proctor, since he faces a promotion and a posting outside of Rouen, which will take him off the case. Verjeat is sure that this is courtesy of Lardatte and his police contacts! To cap it all, his sidekick, the eccentric Inspector Lefevre, implicates them both in a case of police corruption!

Alors que la campagne électorale bat son plein à Rouen, un jeune garçon et un inspecteur de police sont abattus lors d’une bagarre entre colleurs d’affiches. Le commissaire Verjeat sait qui a tué son collaborateur : un nommé Portor, repris de justice notoire. Avec l’aide du jeune et bouillant inspecteur Lefèvre, il s’efforce de prouver sa culpabilité. Une mission qui s’avère très délicate, notamment quand il apprend que Portor fait partie du service d’ordre de Pierre Lardatte, candidat du Parti républicain unifié, défenseur de l’ordre et de la morale et disposant de puissants appuis dans la police et le monde politique…