Paris, Escada da Morte

Made to capitalize on Eddie Constantine's huge popularity in the French fifties,this little thriller begins as a whodunit (a star of the screen,Michèle Marley is accused of the murder of another actor,Norbert Castan)and continues as a gangsters movie.

The first part often takes place in the cinema circles with the managers and the studios ,places which are used with good results : the bossy director ,who shows how to act a scene ,and gets killed whereas people around goes on rapture over his performance ("he lives out his art!"),then a long chase in the huge empty rooms with good camera work.The last part ,in the "circus" is more derivative with acts which are filler,but includes the good moment when the false monks take collection (of money and jewels).