Assassinio a 45 giri

This French noir is a B film similar to the American ones of the period, although France is not a country we normally associate with B pictures. It was the second feature film directed by the bilingual Belgian director, Etienne Périer. Périer is best known for two English language blockbusters which he directed in 1971: WHEN EIGHT BELLS TOLL and ZEPPELIN, both of which were hits at the time. Ten years earlier, in 1961, he directed BRIDGE TO THE SUN with Carroll Baker, set in Japan. He was thus equally at home with French language and English language films. This French film is available on DVD in a dubbed version, and no subtitled version appears to exist. The film is chiefly of interest because it stars Danielle Darrieux. The story of the film is based upon the novel A COEUR PERDU jointly written by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, who made film history as the authors of the novel filmed by Alfred Hitchcock three years earlier as VERTIGO (1958). This film was remade in 1994 under the title MEURTRE EN MUSIQUE (MURDER BY MUSIC), by the French Canadian director Gabriel Pelletier. The story involves the unhappy marriage of Darrieux to an egotistical husband played by Jean Servais, and her affair with a young pianist. (Darrieux is a popular singer and her husband composes the songs.) The husband is jealous and plots entrapments and revenge, but then is apparently killed in a car crash. However, he then comes back to life and starts claiming in 45 rpm sound recordings that he faked his death and is watching Darrieux's ever move. Everything becomes very complex, especially as the husband had a business partner with shady motives. All of the people in the story are rather unpleasant, one has no sympathy for any of them, and the story is therefore unrewarding because who cares what happens to any of them anyway, But nevertheless, for those interested in the noir genre, I would say that this French film of 1960 is a conscious attempt by the French to imitate the postwar American noir films, and it partially succeeds in doing so. For people interested in the history of the cinema, that is reason enough to be aware of it or even to watch the film.

This movie is not the best adaptation of a Boileau et Narcejac book because of Périer's weak direction, but the mysterious story is still strong enough with the 45 t record gimmick and there are Darrieux, Auclair and Servais. Very far from being a masterpiece, it's still entertaining. From Boileau and Narcejac at that time, try "Maléfices" by Decoin, his last good noir movie.

Another one in the long line of triangular thrillers made in the wake of "Diabolique" (1955), "Murder at 45 RPM" is expertly directed, but the plot is pretty transparent; after all, there isn't exactly a wealth of characters to spread your suspicions upon. Danielle Darrieux looks stunning, maturing like wine of the finest quality. **1/2 out of 4.

Sumptuous house, great photography, beautiful Darrieux singing: MEURTRE EN 45 TOURS kicks off nicely... and it stays that way until Darrieux's caddish hubby, superbly played by the great character actor, Jean Servais, dies in an accident.

Then things begin to go down the tubes: Darrieux is asked to confirm that it is her hubby who's lying in the body bag, but she appears to look away as she approaches it, and later confirms to boytoy Auclair that she did not actually look.

From that point on, the nonsensical script simply loses all connection with logic and believability.

Uninspired direction by Etienne Périer, substandard performance from second lead Michel Auclair.

Most probably this movie tried to capitalized on the fantastic success of Les Diaboliques. From the same Boileau-Narcejac team of detective stories this one unfortunately does not work as it should. Except for Jean Servais at his cynical best, the cast is not convincing and the action drags through the usual twists of the suspense scenario.