Vidocq

George Sanders as Eugene Francois Vidocq, a clever French crook (and a very flimsy representation of the amazing real-life template), is both the lead actor and narrator of this film in which he neatly swindles his way from a lowly prison cell to the top of French society delivering a bounty of aphorisms along the way. The real-life Vidocq began as a rough-and- tumble child criminal and ended up a government minister.

Sanders basically delivers the same polished performance seen in numerous other films, from "Man Hunt" (1941), through "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1945) and "All About Eve" (1950): the cool, cultivated, continental, dry wit with just the right suggestion of the animal beneath. Carole Landis, in what may be her finest role, is both funny and chilling as a self-centered show girl who blatantly uses her beauty to catch wealthy men. Signe Hasso (who looks distractingly like Margaret Sullavan) plays the daughter of the minister of police; she falls in love with Sanders but is as lifeless and damp here as she is vivacious and crackling in "The House on 92nd Street," made the year before.

The film is obviously 100% studio made, with painted backdrops to represent the French countryside. But since scenery is not the point here, this drawback can be overlooked. It's an unusual film about an extraordinary man, here reduced to a sort of Sherlock Holmes who strides both sides of the law.

I was already a fan of George Sanders - but this film really gives him the witty language that he can spin under his breath better than any actor in movies. The story itself is far more interesting in its twists and turns than expected. Listen carefully - and you hear real style and imagination.

Romanticized and not entirely historically accurate, but nevertheless an entertaining movie about Eugene Francois Vidocq, (based on his memoirs, which were probably not entirely accurate either) who goes from thief to Chief of Police in Paris, with quite a lot of adventure in between. (there's a funny scene where he's posing in armor on a horse, for a portrait of St. George, then steals the horse and runs off, later committing another theft by stealing a bejeweled garter from a lovely singer/gold digger, played by Carole Landis. Meanwhile, his portrait is admired by Theresa (Signe Hasso), granddaughter of the Marquise de Pierremont, who soon falls for the real man.

There's a couple of touching scenes. In one, Eugene tells Teresa the difference between her and Loretta, is that in Loretta's eyes he sees the man he is, but in Theresa's, he sees the man he could be. In another, Theresa steals some jewelry (ones that will belong to her anyway) to let him know that she'll love him no matter what, and wants to be part of his life, even if it means becoming like him.

I won't give away any more details, except to say that Jo Ann Marlowe gives a great performance as Theresa's precocious little sister, who tells Eugene she knew all about him from the start.

A fun movie!

The movie is totally Sanders', and one of his finest--certainly one of his finest NON-supporting roles. BUT, it is also Landis's finest performance--her Flame Song is beautifully performed and foreshadows [sic--in both sense of the term]her final demise. See it for Sanders, who is always so worthwhile, but see it for Landis--at her peak

How many "Vidocq" versions are there ? Probably more than you'd want to see.The last one was released a couple of years ago (feat Depardieu) and was a commercial and artistic flop.French versions galore are up for grabs including a miniseries in the sixties.

This American version of the thief-turned -cop is a different matter cause it is probably as far as the real life character as it can be.George Sanders' suave portrayal is actually close to Arsene Lupin the French gentleman-burglar invented by Maurice Leblanc.After all Detlef Sierck (Douglas Sirk) was European .Aunt Ernestine is some kind of equivalent of Lupin's old nanny Victoire.The parallel with Saint George and the dragon is a good idea ,when a man has actually to fight against himself on the way to redemption.

The film is highly praised in Vidocq's native France:Jacques Lourcelles writes that ,"lost in Hollywood ,Sirk is at home again in an old tale of good old Europa.

I must confess I find "scandal in Paris" a bit cold and sometimes dull and I like Sirk best in his "Melodrames Flamboyants".