Film Snail

7.0

The Mask of Dimitrios

NR·1944·95m

Mystery

Summary

A mystery writer is intrigued by the tale of notorious criminal Dimitrios Makropolous, whose dead body was found washed up on the shore in Istanbul. He decides to follow the career of Dimitrios around Europe, in order to learn more about the man. Along the way he is joined by the mysterious Mr. Peters, who has his own motivation.

Cast

Peter Lorre

Cornelius Leyden

Sydney Greenstreet

Mr. Peters

Zachary Scott

Dimitrios Makropoulos

Faye Emerson

Irana Preveza

Victor Francen

Wladislaw Grudek

Steven Geray

Karel Bulic

Florence Bates

Madame Elise Chavez

Eduardo Ciannelli

Marukakis (as Edward Ciannelli)

Kurt Katch

Colonel Haki

Marjorie Hoshelle

Anna Bulic

Georges Metaxa

Hans Werner

John Abbott

Mr. Pappas

Monte Blue

Abdul Dhris

David Hoffman

Konrad

Charles Andre

French Train Conductor (uncredited)

Vince Barnett

Card Game Kibitzer (uncredited)

Felix Basch

Vazoff (uncredited)

Edward Biby

Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Ted Billings

Bar Patron (uncredited)

John Bleifer

Coach Driver (uncredited)

James Carlisle

Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Jack Chefe

Casino Patron (uncredited)

Gino Corrado

Man at Grudek's Restaurant Table (uncredited)

Hella Crossley

Bulgarian Hostess (uncredited)

Carmen D'Antonio

Nightclub Dancer (uncredited)

Ray De Ravenne

French Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Carl Deloro

Minor Role (uncredited)

Helen Dickson

Casino Patron (uncredited)

Fred Essler

Mr. Bostoff (uncredited)

Tom Ferrandini

Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Eddie Fields

Train Conductor (uncredited)

Antonio Filauri

Man Across Table (uncredited)

Joe Gilbert

Casino Patron (uncredited)

Gregory Golubeff

Yugoslav Doorkeeper (uncredited)

Dick Gordon

Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Sol Gorss

Man Shadowing Peters and Leyden (uncredited)

Marion Gray

Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Peter Helmers

Reporter (uncredited)

Rita Holland

Girl on Beach (uncredited)

Stuart Holmes

Casino Patron (uncredited)

Eddie Hyans

Turkish Man (uncredited)

Frank Lackteen

Turkish Soldier (uncredited)

Mary Landa

Flower Girl (uncredited)

Carl M. Leviness

Casino Patron (uncredited)

Adolf E. Licho

Bulgarian Café Proprietor (uncredited)

Alphonse Martell

Roulette Croupier (uncredited)

Lal Chand Mehra

Turkish Servant (uncredited)

Louis Mercier

Bulgarian Policeman (uncredited)

Jules Molnar

Servant with Tray (uncredited)

Sol Murgi

Casino Patron (uncredited)

John Mylong

Druhar (uncredited)

Carl Neubert

Druhar's Secretary (uncredited)

Alfred Paix

Card Player (uncredited)

Lotte Palfi Andor

Yugoslav Receptionist (uncredited)

Walter Palm

Butler (uncredited)

Nino Pipitone

Hotel Clerk in Istanbul (uncredited)

José Portugal

Casino Patron (uncredited)

Pedro Regas

Turkish Morgue Attendant (uncredited)

Georges Renavent

Fisherman (uncredited)

Phillip Rock

Boy on Beach (uncredited)

Leonid Snegoff

Stambulisky (uncredited)

Count Stefenelli

Party Guest (uncredited)

Rola Stewart

Girl on Beach (uncredited)

Nick Thompson

Porter on Train (uncredited)

Sid Troy

Police Officer (uncredited)

Albert Van Antwerp

Bulgarian Landlord (uncredited)

Michael Visaroff

Bulgarian Policeman (uncredited)

Marek Windheim

Hotel Clerk in Paris (uncredited)

Sam Harris

Robert Robinson

Crew

Director

Jean Negulesco

Novel

Eric Ambler

Screenplay

Frank Gruber

Reviews

John Chard

February 10, 2016

A Coffin for Dimitrios.

The Mask of Dimitrios is directed by Jean Negulesco and adapted to screenplay by Frank Gruber from the novel "A Coffin for Dimitrios" written by Eric Ambler. It stars Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Zachary Scott and Faye Emerson. Music is by Adolph Deutsch and cinematography by Arthur Edeson.

"For money, some men will allow the innocent to hang. They will turn traitor...they will lie, cheat, steal...they will kill. They appear brilliant, charming, generous! But they are deadly. Such a man was Dimitrios"

Dimitrios alright - ruthless and primitive.

Foreign intrigue mystery thriller dressed up in film noir clobber, Jean Negulesco's film is a treat for the so inclined. Often tagged as the inferior baby brother of John Huston's The Maltese Falcon, that statement shouldn't detract from what a good film Dimitrios is. Plot finds Lorre as mystery novelist Cornelius Leyden, who after learning of the body of master scally-wag Dimitrios Makropoulos (Scott) being washed up dead on the shores of the Bosphorus, seeks out his history in the hope of writing a novel about him - aided by the suspicious Mr. Peters (Greenstreet). What he finds is waters more muddier and deeper than the Bosphorus itself.

Narrative is a two pronged affair, we are in the company of Leyden and Peters during real time, and in the dubious company of Dimitrios in a number of flashbacks that introduce new characters that are bruised and battered, or worse, by Dimitrios' actions. The story moves through a number of exotic European locations, ensuring there's always a cosmopolitan feel to the intrigue. Intrigue that ticks away nicely because nothing you sense is as it seems. Moody atmosphere is unbound via Edeson's (also The Maltese Falcon) photography, plenty of low lights and shadows ensure all the mystery machinations are given added impetus.

Back on release some critics bemoaned the lack of action and of "A" list stars, which now looks very unfair criticism. Certainly Greenstreet and Lorre to their fans have never been seen as lesser lights, their body of work holding up as joyous celluloid art. While the lack of action is irrelevant, this is about story telling and of characterisations, of mystery unravels, all of which leads to a super finale that rewards those who invested their time. 8/10