HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''The Alibi'' (French: ''L'Alibi'') is a 1937 French
mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, i ...
directed by
Pierre Chenal Pierre Chenal (; 5 December 1904 – 23 December 1990) was a French director and screenwriter who flourished in the 1930s. He was married to Czech-born French film actress Florence Marly from 1937 to 1955. Work Chenal was best known for film no ...
and starring Erich von Stroheim, Albert Préjean and
Jany Holt Jany Holt (born Ruxandra Ecaterina Vladescu Olt, 13 May 1909 – 26 October 2005) was a Romanian-born actress, who worked principally in the French cinema. Holt married French actor Marcel Dalio in 1936, divorcing in 1939. In 1940, Holt married ...
. The film was shot at the Billancourt Studios and
Epinay Studios The Epinay Studios are film production studios located in Epinay in northern Paris. It was a complex with two distinct and separate structures. The earliest was built in 1902 by Eclair Film. A second studio was controlled by the French subsidia ...
in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
.
Location shooting Location shooting is the shooting of a film or television production in a real-world setting rather than a sound stage or backlot. The location may be interior or exterior. The filming location may be the same in which the story is set (for ex ...
took place at
Trilport Trilport () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Demographics Inhabitants of Trilport are called ''Trilportais'' in French. See also *Communes of the Seine-et-Marne department T ...
on the
River Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributarie ...
. The film's sets were designed by the art directors
Eugène Lourié Eugène Lourié (russian: Евгений Лурье; 8 April 1903 – 26 May 1991) was a French film director, art director, production designer, set designer and screenwriter who was known for his collaborations with Jean Renoir and for ...
and
Serge Piménoff Serge Piménoff (1895–1960) was a Russian-born French art director. He designed the sets for the 1958 film ''Les Misérables''.Hayward p.232 Selected filmography * '' Nights of Princes'' (1930) * '' The Unknown Singer'' (1931) * '' Sailor's Son ...
The film was well received by critics on its release.Andrew p.134 It was released in the United States in April 1939 by
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
.


Cast

* Erich von Stroheim as Le professeur Winckler * Albert Préjean as André Laurent *
Jany Holt Jany Holt (born Ruxandra Ecaterina Vladescu Olt, 13 May 1909 – 26 October 2005) was a Romanian-born actress, who worked principally in the French cinema. Holt married French actor Marcel Dalio in 1936, divorcing in 1939. In 1940, Holt married ...
as Hélène Ardouin * Louis Jouvet as Le commissaire Calas * Véra Flory as Une entraîneuse * Foun-Sen as L'assistante de Winckler * Génia Vaury as Une entraîneuse *
Made Siamé Made Siamé (1885–1974) was a French stage and film actress.Goble p.229 Selected filmography * ''Youth'' (1933) * '' The House on the Dune'' (1934) * ''The Mysteries of Paris'' (1935) * '' The Secret of Polichinelle'' (1936) * '' The Alibi'' ...
as La secrétaire de Calas *
Roger Blin Roger Blin (Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, 22 March 1907 – Évecquemont, France, 21 January 1984) was a French actor and director. He staged world premieres of Samuel Beckett's '' Waiting for Godot'' in 1953 and ''Endgame'' in 1957.C. J. Ackerle ...
as Kretz, l'homme de main de Winckler *
Philippe Richard Philippe Richard (24 June 1891 – 24 December 1973) was a French film and theater actor. Richard was born in Saint-Étienne and began his film career in the early 1920s in silent film. In 1948 he starred in the film '' The Lame Devil'' under ...
as John Gordon *
Jean Témerson Jean Témerson (1898–1956) was a French actor. Selected filmography * '' The Lover of Madame Vidal'' (1936) - Guillaume - le domestique * '' With a Smile'' (1936) - Cam (uncredited) * '' Pépé le Moko'' (1937) - Gravère * ''Blanchette'' (1 ...
as Jojo, l'ami de Dany *
Maurice Baquet Maurice Louis Baquet (26 May 1911 – 8 July 2005) was a French actor and cellist. He was born in Villefranche-sur-Saône and died in Noisy-le-Grand.Pierre Labry as Le premier inspecteur *
Max Dalban Max Dalban (27 May 1908 – 9 February 1958) was a French film actor.Macdonald p.244 Selected filmography * '' Boudu Saved from Drowning'' (1932) * '' Chotard and Company'' (1933) * ''Street Without a Name'' (1934) * ''Toni'' (1935) * ''The Ali ...
as Le second inspecteur *
Florence Marly Florence Marly (2 June 1919 – 9 November 1978) was a Czech-born French film actress. During World War II, Marly moved to neutral Argentina with her Jewish husband, film director Pierre Chenal, where she appeared in several films. She also acted ...
as La maitresse de Gordon *
Margo Lion Margo Allison Lion (October 13, 1944 – January 24, 2020) was a producer for plays and musicals both on Broadway and off-Broadway, known for her role in producing the stage and screen hit '' Hairspray''. Combined, the works Lion produced won 20 ...
as Dany * Bobby Martin as Le chef d'orchestre de jazz *
Thelma Minor Thelma is a female given name. It was popularized by Victorian writer Marie Corelli who gave the name to the title character of her 1887 novel ''Thelma''. It may be related to a Greek word meaning "will, volition" see ''thelema''). Note that altho ...
as La chanteuse de l'orchestre *
Jacques Beauvais Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...
as Le maître d'hôtel *
Albert Brouett Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albert ...
as L'huissier * Paul Delauzac as L'avocat * Fernand Flament as Un inspecteur *
Henry Houry Henry Houry (1874–1972) was a French stage actor. He also appeared in and directed films.Waldman & Slide p.229 He worked for a while in the United States during the silent era, directing the 1918 Corinne Griffith film ''Love Watches''. Selecte ...
as L'Américain *
Paul Marthès Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
as Le gros dandy * Laura Marvel as La danseuse * Marcel Melrac as Un agent *
Monique Rolland Monique Rolland (1913–1999) was a French film actress. She appeared in the 1932 film ''Narcotics''.Youngkin p.465 Selected filmography * ''Narcotics'' (1932) * ''The Barber of Seville'' (1933) * ''Paris-Deauville'' (1934) * ''The Midnight Prin ...
as Une entraîneuse *
Odette Talazac Odette Talazac (1883–1948) was a French film actress.Capua p.129 Talazac was the daughter of tenor Jean-Alexandre Talazac and his wife, the soprano Hélène Fauvelle. She began her career singing in music halls before turning to the theater an ...
as La logeuse * Bobby Waisberg as Le petit fleuriste *
René Worms René Worms (8 December 1869 in Rennes – 12 February 1926 in Paris) was a French auditor of the council of state. He was the son of professor of political economics, Émile Worms. Early life and education Worms was educated at the lyceum of hi ...
as Le patron de Calas


References


Bibliography

* Andrews, Dudley. ''Mists of Regret: Culture and Sensibility in Classic French Film''. Princeton University Press, 1995.


External links

* * 1937 films Films set in Paris 1937 mystery films Films directed by Pierre Chenal 1930s French-language films Columbia Pictures films French mystery films Films shot at Billancourt Studios Films shot at Epinay Studios French black-and-white films 1930s French films {{1930s-France-film-stub