''Voici le temps des assassins'' (French for "This is the time for murderers") is a 1956 French crime film directed by

Julien Duvivier Julien Duvivier (; 8 October 1896 – 29 October 1967) was a French film director and screenwriter. He was prominent in French cinema in the years 1930–1960. Amongst his most original films, chiefly notable are ''La Bandera (film), La Bandera'', ...

and starring

Jean Gabin Jean Gabin (; 17 May 190415 November 1976) was a French actor and singer. Considered a key figure in French cinema, he starred in several classic films including ''Pépé le Moko'' (1937), ''La grande illusion'' (1937), ''Le Quai des brumes'' ( ...

and

Danièle Delorme Gabrielle Danièle Marguerite Andrée Girard (9 October 1926 – 17 October 2015), known by her stage name Danièle Delorme, was a French actress and film producer, famous for her roles in films directed by Marc Allégret, Julien Duvivier or Y ...

. The title is a line of ''Matinée d'ivresse'' - part of ''

Illuminations Illuminations may refer to: Shows and festivals * IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, a nightly fireworks show currently at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort *'' IllumiNations'', original nightly firework show at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resor ...

'' by

Arthur Rimbaud Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (, ; 20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism. Born in Charleville, he starte ...

. The film was released as ''Deadlier Than the Male'' in the United States and as ''Twelve Hours to Live'' in the UK. It is a dark tale of a young and pretty

femme fatale A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...

who ruins the life of a man and kills his best friend.

Plot

Les Halles Les Halles (; 'The Halls') was Paris' central fresh food market. It last operated on January 12, 1973, after which it was "left to the demolition men who will knock down the last three of the eight iron-and-glass pavilions""Les Halles Dead at 200 ...

, in the heart of Paris, the long-divorced André Chatelin, an honest and respected man who runs a successful restaurant, is visited by an unknown young woman. She says she is Catherine, the daughter of his ex-wife Gabrielle, who has died leaving her homeless and penniless. André gives her a room and a job, but she soon starts abusing his kindness. She sows discord between André and his young friend Gérard, a medical student who is like a son to him. And she starts stealing money to support her mother, who is not dead but an ex-prostitute who is now a hopeless drug addict in a sordid hotel. Feigning drunkenness one night, she gets André to help her to her bedroom and undress her, with the result that he marries her. As his heir she would be rich and free, so the next plan of her and her mother is to get rid of André. She decides to use Gérard, because of his medical knowledge, and swiftly seduces him. When he refuses to kill André, however, she strangles him and then pushes his car into the river with his corpse and his dog César. A grieving André identifies the body, leaving his telephone number with the police, who ring him to ask if he knows the woman seen in Gérard's car. From the description, it is obvious to him that it was Catherine. When he confronts her, she runs off to her mother's hotel. The dog César, who escaped drowning, follows her there and kills her.

Cast

as André Chatelin *

as Catherine *

Robert Arnoux Robert Raymond Arnoux (23 October 1899, in Lille – 13 March 1964, in Paris) was a French actor. Selected filmography * ''Hantise'' (1922) * ''Napoléon (1927 film), Napoléon'' (1927) - Un conventionnel (uncredited) * ''Rive gauche'' (1931) ...

as Bouvier *

Liliane Bert Liliane Bert (1922-2015) was a French film and television actress.Hayward p.146 Selected filmography * '' The Blue Veil'' (1942) * '' We Are Not Married'' (1946) * ''Colonel Durand'' (1948) * ''Sergil and the Dictator'' (1948) * ''The Heroic Mons ...

as Antoinette *

Gérard Blain Gérard Blain (23 October 1930 – 17 December 2000) was a French actor and film director. Biography Blain appeared in sixty films between 1944 and 2000. He also directed nine films between 1971 and 2000. In 1971, he won the Golden Leopard ...

as Gérard Delacroix *

Lucienne Bogaert Lucienne Bogaert (born Lucienne Jeanne Gabrielle Lefebvre; 6 January 1892 in Caudry, Nord – 4 February 1983 in Montrouge, Hauts-de-Seine) was a French actress. She started her career in theatre, but later also worked in film. After she divo ...

as Gabrielle

Notes

External links

* * *
''Voici le temps des assassins'' at “Cinema-francais“
(French)
''Deadlier Than the Male'' movie review at The New York Times
Last accessed: October 4, 2016. 1956 films 1956 crime films French black-and-white films Films directed by Julien Duvivier Films set in Paris 1950s French-language films French crime films 1950s French films {{1950s-France-film-stub