''Reign of Terror'' (reissued as ''The Black Book'') is a 1949 American spy and

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

directed by Anthony Mann and starring

Robert Cummings Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings (June 9, 1910 – December 2, 1990) was an American film and television actor who appeared in roles in comedy films such as '' The Devil and Miss Jones'' (1941) and ''Princess O'Rourke'' (1943), and in ...

Richard Basehart John Richard Basehart (August 31, 1914 – September 17, 1984) was an American actor. He starred as Admiral Harriman Nelson in the television science-fiction drama '' Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' (1964–68). He also portrayed Wilton Knig ...

and

Arlene Dahl Arlene Carol Dahl (August 11, 1925 – November 29, 2021) was an American actress active in films from the late 1940s. She was one of the last surviving stars from the Classical Hollywood cinema era. She was also an author and entrepreneur. Sh ...

. The film is set during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

. Plotters seek to bring down

Maximilien Robespierre Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman who became one of the best-known, influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. As a member of the Esta ...

and end his bloodthirsty Reign of Terror.

Plot

Already the most powerful man in France,

(

) wants to become the nation's Dictator. He summons François Barras ( Richard Hart), the only man who can nominate him before the National Convention. Barras refuses to do so and goes into hiding. Meanwhile, patriot Charles D'Aubigny (

) secretly kills and impersonates Duval (Charles Gordon), the bloodstained prosecutor of Strasbourg, who had been summoned to Paris by Robespierre for some unknown purpose (which Robespierre's enemies want very much to ascertain). Neither Robespierre nor Fouché (

Arnold Moss Arnold Moss (January 28, 1910 – December 15, 1989) was an American character actor. His son was songwriter Jeff Moss. Early years Born in Flatbush, Moss was a third-generation Brooklyn native. He attended Brooklyn's Boys High School. ...

), the chief of his secret police, have met Duval before, so the substitution goes undetected. Robespierre informs D'Aubigny that his black book, containing the names of those he intends to denounce and have executed, has been stolen. Robespierre's numerous foes are kept in check by not knowing whether their names are on the list or not. If they were to learn for certain that they are on the list, they would band together against him. He gives D'Aubigny authority over everyone in France, save himself, and 24 hours to retrieve the book. D'Aubigny meets Barras ( Richard Hart) through his sole contact, Madelon (

), whom D'Aubigny once loved. However, he was followed, and Barras is arrested by the police, led by Saint-Just. D'Aubigny finds himself in an uncomfortable position, but manages to allay both sides' suspicions that he has betrayed them. He goes to visit Barras in prison, and informs him that three of his best men have been murdered. Strangely, their rooms have not been ransacked in search of the book, leading D'Aubigny to surmise that it was never stolen in the first place, and that Robespierre is using the alleged theft to distract his foes. Saint-Just, still suspicious, sends for Duval's wife to identify her husband. Madelon pretends to be Madame Duval and extricates her former lover while the real Madame Duval is waiting at the gate. Before news of his impersonation spreads, D'Aubigny returns to Robespierre's private office—located in the back rooms of a bakery—to look for the book. There he encounters the opportunistic Fouché, who seems willing to sell out his master. When D'Aubigny finds the book, however, Fouché tries to stab him. D'Aubigny strangles him into unconsciousness and escapes. He and Madelon hide out at the farmhouse of fellow conspirators, Pierre and Marie Blanchard. (The Blanchards are either under arrest in Paris or already dead at the hands of St. Just's Sergeant (

Charles McGraw Charles McGraw (born Charles Crisp Butters; May 10, 1914 – July 29, 1980) was an American stage, film and television actor whose career spanned more than three decades. Early life McGraw was born to Beatrice (née Crisp) and Francis P. B ...

). St. Just goes to the Blanchard's farm and gets no help from Grandma ( Beulah Bondi). He tries to charm one of their three young children, but loses his audience when he impatiently kicks a kitten. Meanwhile, D'Aubigny and Madelon are hiding on the property because they must retrieve the book, which is on the cot where St. Just is sleeping. With help from the children, they get the book and flee on horseback. A nighttime chase ensues. D'Aubigny gets away, but Madelon is caught, taken back to Paris, and tortured by the Sergeant. She refuses to talk. An hour before the Convention meets, Fouché appears and tells Robespierre he knows a better way. He takes an earring from Madelon. The Convention is assembled and about to convene. Fouché shows up and shows the earring to D'Aubigny. Without the book, many more will die, Dissolve to the Convention. Fouché tips his hat to Robespierre, but Barras sees book being passed from hand to hand among the delegates while Robespierre denounces Barras in an eloquent speech. Meanwhile, D'Aubigny searches Robespierre's office and the Sergeant takes her to a hidden room. Robespierre concludes his speech and is shocked to find himself denounced and pursued by the mob. He is followed to his office and nearly brings them to heel with his golden words, but Fouché tells a man “Shut his mouth,” and he shoots Robespierre through the jaw, silencing him forever—making it impossible for a desperate D'Aubigny to learn where Madelon is. Robespierre is taken to meet Madame

Guillotine A guillotine is an apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secured with stocks at t ...

. D'Aubigny returns to Robespierre's office and tears it apart. In despair, he tosses his torch to the floor in front of a bookcase, planning to burn everything. The torch reveals a stain on the floor that leads him to the secret room. He kills the Sergeant and rescues Madelon. Outside the bakery, Fouché falls into conversation with an army officer as the crowd celebrates the death of Robespierre. Fouché, about to take leave of the officer, asks his name. The man replies, "Bonaparte.

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

." Fouché, unimpressed, still promises to remember the name.

Cast

The cast list includes: *

as Charles D'Aubigny *

* Richard Hart as François Barras *

as Madelon *

as Fouché * Norman Lloyd as Tallien *

as Sergeant * Beulah Bondi as Grandma Blanchard *

Jess Barker Jess Barker (June 4, 1912 – August 8, 2000) was an American actor who was active between the 1940s and 1970s. He was best known as the first husband of actress Susan Hayward. Early years Barker was born in Greenville, South Carolina. Career ...

Louis Antoine de Saint-Just Louis Antoine Léon de Saint-Just (; 25 August 17679 Thermidor, Year II 8 July 1794, was a French revolutionary, political philosopher, member and president of the French National Convention, a Jacobin club leader, and a major figure of the Fr ...

* Wade Crosby as Danton *

Russ Tamblyn Russell Irving Tamblyn, also known as Rusty Tamblyn (born December 30, 1934) is an American film and television actor and dancer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Tamblyn trained as a gymnast in his youth. He began his career as a child actor f ...

as Pierre's oldest son

Production

In August 1948, Wanger signed a deal with Cummings to star in the film. In order to get him, the movie became a co-production with Cummings' own company, United Californian. Arlene Dahl was borrowed from MGM. Producer Walter Wanger, director Anthony Mann, cinematographer

John Alton John Alton (October 5, 1901 – June 2, 1996), born Johann Jacob Altmann, in Sopron, Kingdom of Hungary, was an American cinematographer of Hungarian-German origin. Alton photographed some of the most famous films noir of the classic period and wo ...

, and

production designer In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wo ...

William Cameron Menzies William Cameron Menzies (July 29, 1896 – March 5, 1957) was an American film production designer (a job title he invented) and art director as well as a film director and producer during a career spanning five decades. He began his career ...

used their combined talents to make a low budget "epic" using Broadway stars and shooting on sets only costing $40,000. It was the first collaboration between Mann and Philip Yordan. Yordan says the original script by Aeneas MacKenzie which was"nothing but speeches, Robespierre and all this." Yordan says he told Mann "you can't follow the script unless you're a student of the French Revolution" so he suggested the story be simplified to be about Cummings tracking down a book containing the names of anti-Revolutionaries before Robespierre could get it. Filming started August 23, 1948 and ended in early October 1948 . The film premiered in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 16, 1949. The film's original working title was ''The Black Book''. It was released as ''Reign of Terror'', but when it played New York later that year it was renamed ''The Black Book'' .

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Reign Of Terror (Film) 1949 films 1940s historical drama films American historical drama films Biographical films about Maximilien Robespierre American black-and-white films Eagle-Lion Films films Films directed by Anthony Mann Films produced by Walter Wanger Depictions of Napoleon on film Cultural depictions of Maximilien Robespierre Films scored by Sol Kaplan 1940s English-language films 1940s American films

Plot

Cast

Production

See also

References

External links