Neatly done light thriller!

gordonl56

THE MURDERER LIVES AT NUMBER 21 - An early film from the great French writer- director Henri-Georges Clouzot. There is serial killer loose on the streets of Paris and the police seem unable to catch him. Every time he strikes he leaves a business card with the name M. Durand at the crime scene. The government leans on the mayor for action, he in turn leans on the Police chief who does the same to the chief of detectives and so on and so on. Having finally reached the bottom of the command structure we find a detective Wens. Wens is played by Pierre Fresnay. Wens is given a week to solve the case or resign. He catches a break when a 2nd rate burglar is brought in to be locked up. He is willing to trade some info for a get out of jail free. It seems that while he was pulling a job at a rooming house he found a box full of the M.Durand cards. He does not recall which room but gives the detective the house number and street. Early next morning Wens calls on the rooming house while disguised as a priest from the country. Over a meal he meets the other residents who are a who's who of mystery stereotypes. The writer, the toymaker, the doctor, the lounge singer, the out of work sideshow knife thrower etc. When one of the guests is done in he puts the grab on the knife man. Opps! While in custody there is another killing so out the door goes the knife thrower while the doctor is grabbed up. They are giving him the third degree when there is another murder. Out the door the doctor goes and in comes the toymaker! Finally Wens tumbles to the fact there is more than one killer. Every time one of their group is arrested they commit a new murder which causes the baffled cops to believe they have the wrong person.

The rest of the cast includes, Suzy Delair, Jean Tissier, Jean Desqecux, Pierre Larqvey and Noel Roquevert.

The whole film is like a noir version of the Thin Man series with a hint of comedy and some real racy (for 1942) dialogue. The cinematography is simply dazzling. The opening murder is as good a bit of film-making as i've ever seen. That this film was made in Paris during the Nazi occupation makes it all the more impressive.

While not quite as good as some of Clouzot's later work, Manon, Quai des Orferes and Les Diaboliques it is highly entertaining.

My 3 cents anyway,

score 8/10

gordonl56 24 December 2007

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1785722/