''56 Rue Pigalle'' is a 1949 French

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Willy Rozier Willy Rozier (27 June 1901 – 29 May 1983) was a French actor, film director, film producer and screenwriter who also used the pseudonym Xavier Vallier. Filmography Director * ''Les Monts en flammes'' (1931) * ''Calais-Dover'' (1931) * ''Le ...

and starring

Jacques Dumesnil Jacques Dumesnil (born Marie Émile Eugène André Joly; November 9, 1903 – May 8, 1998) was a French film and television actor. Early life Jacques Dumesnil was born as Marie Émile Eugène André Joly on November 9, 1903 in Paris, France ...

Marie Déa Marie Déa (born Odette Alice Marie Deupès 17 May 1912 – 1 March 1992) was a French actress. She appeared in more than 50 films from 1939 to 1983. She was married to the actor Lucien Nat Lucien Nat (born Lucien Maurice Natte; 11 January ...

and

Aimé Clariond Aimé Clariond (10 May 1894 – 31 December 1959) was a French stage and film actor. Clariond was born in Périgueux, Dordogne, France and died in Paris. Selected filmography * ''The Brothers Karamazov'' (1931) - Ivan Karamazoff * '' Amourous ...

. It has been classified as a

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

.Spicer p.51 It was shot at the

Victorine Studios Victorine Studios (French: Studios de la Victorine) are a film studio in the French city of Nice. They are also known as the Nice Studios. Several small studios have also existed in the city. Originally built in 1921 in an attempt to create a H ...

and on location around

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...

Synopsis

Jean Vigneron, a famous

yachtsman A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

, is in love with Inès the wife of his best friend. They are

blackmailed Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...

due to incriminating letters being stolen by a

valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, valet de chambre was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "vale ...

living in the Rue Pigalle. When he is found murdered suspicion inevitably points at Vigneron. He flees to the

French Congo The French Congo (french: Congo français) or Middle Congo (french: Moyen-Congo) was a French colony which at one time comprised the present-day area of the Republic of the Congo and parts of Gabon, and the Central African Republic. In 1910, i ...

, until he is absolved by a surprise witness.

Cast

as Jean Vigneron *

as Inès de Montalban *

as Ricardo de Montalban *

Raymond Cordy Raymond Cordy (9 December 1898 – 23 April 1956) was a French film actor,Youngkin p.466 born Raymond Cordiaux. He appeared in over a hundred and thirty films during his career. Selected filmography * ''Little Lise'' (1930) - Un joueur de billa ...

as Le chauffeur de taxi * Janine Miller as Nadia, la chanteuse *

René Blancard René Blancard (12 March 1897 – 5 November 1965) was a French film actor. He appeared in 80 films between 1922 and 1965. Selected filmography * ''The Mysteries of Paris'' (1922) - Bras-Rouge * ''Montmartre'' (1925) - Frédéric Charanço ...

as Lucien Bonnet *

Jean Geoffroy Henri-Jules-Jean Geoffroy, also known by the pseudonym Géo (1 March 1853, Marennes - 15 December 1924, Paris) was a French painter and illustrator, known primarily for his genre scenes with children. Some sources give his first names in reverse ...

as Baruch *

Marco Villa Marco Villa (born February 8, 1969 in Abbiategrasso) is a road bicycle and track cyclist from Italy. He won the bronze medal in the men's Madison at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia alongside Silvio Martinello Silvio Martinello ...

as Fred Poulain *

Denyse Roux Denyse is a feminine given name, and may be seen as a variant of Denise. Notable people with the name include: * Denyse Alexander (born 1931), British actress * Denyse Benoit, Canadian actress, director and screenwriter *Denyse Floreano (born 197 ...

as Janis *

Lucien Callamand Lucien Callamand born Lucien Marie Pascal Eugène Callamand (April 1, 1888, in Marseille – December 3, 1968, in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes) was one of the earliest French film actors whose career spanned six decades of French cinema. Between 1909 ...

as Le procureur

References

Bibliography

* Spicer, Andrew. ''European Film Noir''. Manchester University Press, 2019.

External links

* 1949 films 1940s French-language films 1949 drama films 1949 crime drama films French crime drama films Films directed by Willy Rozier Films shot at Victorine Studios Films shot in Nice Films set in Nice 1940s French films {{1940s-France-film-stub