Vautier, a wealthy surgeon in his fifties, falls in love with Hélène, a young woman from a modest background. He allows her to have a string of short-lived lovers - but when Jean Trapeau, an old boyfriend, resurfaces, things get complicated.
Acting
Harry Baur's magnificent, sweaty desperation.
Direction
Litvak's early mastery of claustrophobic intimacy.
Director
Anatole Litvak
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Anatole Litvak fled Europe in 1936; this pre-Code drama shows the sophisticated darkness he'd bring to Hollywood noir.
Harry Baur — Jewish, enormous, magnificent — was arrested by Gestapo in 1942 and died in custody, making his pre-war performances unbearably poignant.
FR
