The Mask of Dimitrios (film)

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Movie
German title The mask of Dimitrios
Original title The Mask of Dimitrios
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1944
length 99 minutes
Rod
Director Jean Negulesco
script Frank Gruber
production Henry Blanke
music Adolph German
camera Arthur Edeson
cut Frederick Richards
occupation

The Mask of Dimitrios is an American crime film , a film noir by the director Jean Negulesco from 1944, based on the novel The Mask of Dimitrios ( A Coffin for Dimitrios ) by Eric Ambler . The US premiere was in New York on June 23, 1944 . The film did not come to cinemas in Germany; it was first broadcast on German television on June 30, 1991.

action

In Istanbul a corpse is washed up 1938th With the help of a passport, the dead person is identified as the internationally wanted criminal Dimitrios Makropoulos. Colonel Haki of the Turkish police tells the story of the criminal to the Dutch writer Cornelius Leyden. Leyden desperately wants to see the body. Haki grants the wish and continues the story.

Haki first became aware of Dimitrios in 1922 when the man from Smyrna , now Izmir , who was then working as a fig picker, killed a man in a robbery and had another man atone for his crime. Most recently, Dimitrios worked for a smuggling ring in Paris . Leyden sees the dead man as a main character for his next novel. He travels to Athens , where Dimitrios began his criminal career. At the same time, the mysterious Mr. Peters learns of the criminal's death. He learns that the body has already been cremated and also travels to Athens.

Leyden makes his way to Sofia to see Irena Preveza, a former lover of Dimitrios. She tells him that years ago Dimitrios had to leave the country after a failed assassination attempt. He borrowed money from Irena and promised to pay it back. But so far no money has come back. Leyden returns to his hotel room and meets Mr. Peters. Peters informs him that he followed the writer from Athens and wanted to know the reason for his interest in Dimitrios. After Leyden has informed him, Peters suggests continuing the investigation, especially since Leyden can also benefit financially from it.

Leyden is now looking for Wladislaw Grodek. Grodek was an agent leader who hired Dimitrios to steal a list of minefields. Grodek says that Dimitrios had bet on the insecurity of the employee Karel Bulic, who was married to a beautiful woman. When Bulic got into debt with a professional player, Dimitrios offered to pay the debt if Bulic would give him the list. Dimitrios then played the wrong game and sold the list to another government. Bulic then committed suicide.

Leyden returns to Paris and informs Peters of the progress of his investigation. Peters identifies himself as Erik Peterson, a former member of the smugglers' gang. He explains that the body Leyden saw is not Dimitrios'. Peterson plans to blackmail Dimitrios with Leyden's help. Leyden hesitates at first, but then agrees. The two agree with Dimitrios where the hush money will be handed over. Dimitrios later runs into the two blackmailers and shoots Peters down. While Leyden is fighting the criminal, the injured Peters can take a pistol and shoot Dimitrios. He is arrested by the rushing police; Leyden, however, nothing happens, he can now begin his novel.

Reviews

" Film noir " on a high artistic level, conjuring up an atmosphere of moral unscrupulousness. "

- Lexicon of international film

"Exquisite fun for crime nostalgics."

- Cinema

background

The film marks the film debut for Zachary Scott. Oscar winner Leo F. Forbstein was the musical director .

Web links

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The Mask of Dimitrios in the Lexicon of International Films
  2. ↑ The Mask of Dimitrios  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on Cinema.de@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.cinema.de