''Blackmail'' (French: ''Chantage'') is a 1955 French

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

directed by

Guy Lefranc Guy Lefranc (21 October 1919 - 1 February 1994) was a French director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 ...

and starring

Raymond Pellegrin Raymond Pellegrin (1 January 1925 – 14 October 2007) was a French actor. Born in Nice, Pellegrin made his screen debut in the 1945 French feature '' Naïs''. He was also famous in France for dubbing Jean Marais for the voice of Fantômas i ...

, Magali Noël and Leo Genn. https://en.unifrance.org/movie/4923/blackmail-the-lowest-crime It was shot at the

Billancourt Studios Billancourt Studios was a film studio in Paris which operated between 1922 and 1992. Located in Boulogne-Billancourt, it was one of the leading French studios. It was founded in the silent era by Henri Diamant-Berger. During the Second World War ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and 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), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

and on location around the city including in

Saint-Germain-en-Laye Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Inhabitants are called ''Saint-Germanois'' or ''Saint-Ge ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

Lucien Aguettand Lucien Aguettand (28 January 1901 – 14 February 1989) was a French art directorHayward p.205 who designed the sets for over eighty films during his career. Selected filmography * ''Little Devil May Care'' (1928) * ''All That's Not Worth Love' ...

. It is also known by the alternative title ''The Lowest Crime''.

Cast

as Jean-Louis Labouret * Magali Noël as Denise Brisse * Leo Genn as Lionel Kendall *

Georges Chamarat Georges Chamarat (30 March 1901 – 21 November 1982) was a French actor. He appeared in more than 100 films and television shows between 1929 and 1981. He starred in the film ''The Adventures of Arsène Lupin'', which was entered into the 7 ...

as Edouard Brisse *

Noël Roquevert Noël Roquevert (born Noël Louis Raymond Bénévent; 18 December 1892 – 6 November 1973) was a French stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1932 and 1972. Roquevert was born in Doué-la-Fontaine and was married ...

as Boussardel *

Michel Etcheverry Michel Etcheverry (16 December 1919 – 30 March 1999) was a French actor. First a teacher, he was fired in 1941 for refusing to make the Maréchal children sing, here we come! . He began his career in the theater as a stage manager, then joined ...

as Le commissaire Bretrannet *

Madeleine Barbulée Madeleine Barbulée (2 September 1910 – 1 January 2001) was a French film, stage and television actress.''French Cinema in the 1970s: The Echoes of May'' p.265 Selected filmography * ''Métier de fous'' (1948) * '' Les Casse Pieds'' (1948) - ...

as L'infirmière *

Henri Nassiet Henri Nassiet (1895–1977) was a French actor. Selected filmography * ''Maman Pierre'' (1922) * ''La griffe du hasard'' (1937) - Séverac (uncredited) * ''Life Dances On'' (1937) - Un policier * ''L'innocent'' (1938) - Gregor * ''La Glu'' (193 ...

as Maître Rougier - l'avocat d'Edouard Brisse * Nadine Tallier as Janine - la photographe *

Denise Provence Denise Provence (1921–2011) was a French stage, film and television actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in mode ...

as Gisèle *

André Weber André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew, and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries. It is a variation o ...

as Gilbert *

Paul Faivre Paul Faivre (3 March 1886 – 5 March 1973) was a French actor. Selected filmography * ''The House Opposite'' (1937) * ''Behind the Facade'' (1939) * '' Vidocq'' (1939) * '' Annette and the Blonde Woman'' (1942) * ''The Count of Monte Crist ...

as Le patron du café *

Jean Hébey Jean Hébey (1916–1992) was a French Algerian film actor.Capua p.163 Selected filmography * ''Le bébé de l'escadron'' (1935) * ''Bichon'' (1936) - Jacques Fontanges * ''Les grands'' (1936) * ''Counsel for Romance'' (1936) - Fil-de-fer / Slim ...

as Un inspecteur *

Jacqueline Marbaux Jacqueline may refer to: People * Jacqueline (given name), including a list of people with the name * Jacqueline Moore (born 1964), ring name "Jacqueline", American professional wrestler Arts and entertainment * ''Jacqueline'' (1923 film), ...

as Solange * Florence Blot as Madame Mortier *

Bernard Musson Bernard Musson (1925–2010) was a French actor. Selected filmography * '' It Happened in Paris'' (1952) * '' The Slave'' (1953) * '' On Trial'' (1954) * ''Flesh and the Woman'' (1954) * ''Bonjour sourire'' (1956) * ''Les Truands'' (1956) * '' ...

as L'hôtelier * Gérard Barray as Le gigolo moustachu photographié par Janine *

Olivier Darrieux Olivier is the French form of the given name Oliver. It may refer to: * Olivier (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Olivier (surname), a list of people * Château Olivier, a Bordeaux winery *Olivier, Louisiana, a rural popul ...

as Un gigolo * Marcel Bozzuffi as Un accusé dans le box *

Serge Bento Serge may refer to: *Serge (fabric), a type of twill fabric * Serge (llama) (born 2005), a llama in the Cirque Franco-Italien and internet meme * Serge (name), a masculine given name (includes a list of people with this name) * Serge (post), a hit ...

as Un accusé dans le box * Geneviève Morel as La concierge *

Jacques Besnard Jacques Besnard (Also known as Jacques Treyens; born 15 July 1929 in Le Petit-Quevilly - died 9 November 2013 in Boutigny-Prouais) was a French film director, assistant director, film producer, producer, actor and screenwriter. Best known for '' ...

as Le jeune homme *

Geymond Vital Geymond Vital (24 January 1897 – 6 December 1987) was a French film, stage and television actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the ...

as L'avocat de la partie civile *

Jean Degrave Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jean ...

as Un inspecteur *

Lucien Guervil Lucien is a male given name. It is the French form of Luciano or Latin ''Lucianus'', patronymic of Lucius. Lucien, Saint Lucien, or Saint-Lucien may also refer to: People Given name * Lucien of Beauvais, Christian saint *Lucien, a band member ...

as Un témoin *

Michel Nastorg Michel Nastorg (1914–1984) was a French actor. During World War II he was called into the French army as Soldier Second Class. With the Seventh Army he retreated from Belgium before a fierce German onslaught, and found himself at Dunkirk in J ...

as Le musicien *

Maurice Chevit Maurice Chevit (31 October 1923 – 2 July 2012) was a French actor. Maurice Chevit made his theatrical début just after the Second World War, and made his first screen appearance in 1946 in René Clément's film ''Le Père tranquille''. In ...

as Un complice

References

Bibliography

* Bessy, Maurice & Chirat, Raymond. ''Histoire du cinéma français: 1951-1955''. Pygmalion, 1989. * Rège, Philippe. ''Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Volume 1''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1955 films French crime films 1955 crime films 1950s French-language films French black-and-white films 1950s French films Films directed by Guy Lefranc Films shot in Paris Films set in Paris Films shot at Billancourt Studios {{1950s-France-film-stub fr:Chantage (film, 1955)