Quai des orfèvres

Director
Henri-Georges Clouzot
Cast
Suzy Delair, Bernard Blier, Louis Jouvet
Date
1947
Duration
105 Minutes
Cert.
PG

Henri-Georges Clouzot's Quai des orfèvres was a startling return to form in 1947, after four years on the blacklist for questioning France's collusion with its Nazi Occupiers in the classic, Le Corbeau.

Clouzot takes a lighter approach in this crime fiction adaptation. When a lecherous high-society businessman Brignon is murdered, inspector Antoine (Louis Jouvet) pursues three leads; pushy performer Jenny Lamour (vibrantly portrayed by Suzy Delair), who was willing to seduce Brignon to further her career, her jealous husband Maurice Martineau (Bernard Blier), and their devoted confidante Dora Monier (Simone Renant).

This craftily acted and photographed work, with its taut script and pacing, is a notable example of why Clouzot is the master of the plot twist and directly influenced on other great purveyors of thrills, including one Alfred Hitchcock.