Cécile is Dead (1944) – Film Review

Director: Maurice Tourneur
Cast: James Garner, Gayle Hunnicutt, Carroll O’Connor
Certificate: 15

By Sarah Morgan

I love a bit of Maigret. For weeks, I’ve got up on a Sunday, made a coffee and watched an episode of the 1960s series starring Rupert Davies, having recorded it the previous evening on Talking Pictures TV.

So, how would I feel about seeing someone else play the French police’s most famous Chief Inspector? Okay, so I saw the more recent Rowan Atkinson take on the character (fine, but not particularly memorable once you got over the stunt casting), but had never felt the need to see other incarnations – Davies was the man for me.

Nevertheless, I embraced the idea of watching Cécile is Dead, which was one of several productions made by the German-controlled production company Continental Films in occupied France during the Second World War. What made it of particular interest was the fact that it was directed by Maurice Tourneur, father of the more celebrated Jacques. I recently reviewed his rather excellent if disturbing The Devil’s Hand for this site, so was interested to see more of his work from the same period.

“Complex”

Apparently, Cécile is Dead was criticised on its release for its depiction of Maigret, portrayed by Albert Prejean, as a younger, more athletic and angry figure than that in the novels by his creator, the prolific Georges Simenon. He does, in fact, appear to have more in common with the private eyes that would proliferate film noir in Hollywood during the subsequent decade than he does Davies’ patrician and gentle yet steely alter ego.

Nevertheless, once I got over that, I was treated to a taut, well-acted crime melodrama in which Maigret feels as if he’s being haunted by Cécile Pardon, a young woman who visits him on a regular basis to report that overnight, the furniture has been moved by a figure or figures unknown in the apartment she shares with her aunt.

Initially, Maigret dismisses her claims – until her aunt is murdered and Cécile herself is found dead in the police station itself. He then throws himself into a complex investigation that reveals her aunt was mixed up with some very dubious characters indeed…

“Atmospheric”

Although it’s true that Prejean’s take on Maigret is the film’s weak point (and, admittedly, a pretty big one, seeing as he’s the central character), there is plenty to admire here, including Tourneur’s skilled direction, aided in no small part by Pierre Montazel’s atmospheric cinematography.

The release is boosted by two fine accompanying documentaries – one from Tourneur biographer Christine Leteux, who offers valuable background information on the making of the film, and other presented by University of York’s Martin Hall, a film historian who takes a look at the various depictions of Maigret on both the large and small screens.

Sarah Morgan( Writer )

Sarah Morgan studied film journalism at post-graduate level with the BFI and has been writing about TV and film for PA Media’s newspaper, magazine and new media customers since 1996. She’s also written for a wide range of other publications, both online and in print, including the book Offbeat and Intermission magazine, and is a regular contributor to the Talking Pictures TV podcast. When she isn’t watching movies, she’s collecting and reading vintage crime and horror paperback books or, for her sins, watching her beloved Sheffield Wednesday.

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