Not for the first time and almost certainly not the last I find myself in mild disagreement with dbmonteuil, one of only two people to review this movie on IMDb. As it happens dbmonteuil is a good friend of mine and overall we agree more than we disagree about French cinema which we both love with equal passion. I have speculated previously that because he lives in France and has easy access via French TV, DVD outlets and le cinema du quartier to the cream of French movies he can afford, more than I, stuck as I am in England, for with truffles, fois gras and champagne available for the asking he can be disdainful about steak hache, lemon meringue and vin du pays. I can count on the fingers of one thumb the number of vintage (in this case 1930) we get to see in the UK, let alone vintage films from a master like Tourneur (incidentally, his son Jacques, an equally distinguished director with such credits as Out Of The Past aka Build My Gallows High on his CV, was Assistant director here) and so I cannot be so cavalier when one comes my way. It was interesting that dbmonteuil mentioned Henri-Georges Clouzot for, having watched the film but not yet read dbmonteuil's take on it, I was immediately struck by its link to Clouzot's Quai des Orfevres which is set against a background of French Music Hall, as this utilises the Folies Bergere as a backdrop. Gaby Morlay was one of the finest actresses in French cinema albeit her appeal was largely domestic as opposed to contemporaries Arletty and Danielle Darrieux who achieved International fame, whilst Charles Vanel, saddled with the role of Red Herring, enjoyed one of the longest careers in French, if not cinema the world over. I'm certainly not claiming that this is anything more than an entertaining melodrama in which Tourneur exhibits his stylish touches such as the enormous shadow of the public prosecutor in the trial scenes. I'm delighted I got the chance to watch a slice of French cinematic history.
Review of Accusée... levez-vous!
