The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)

Director:

Jean Negulesco

Writers:

Eric Ambler (novel)
Frank Gruber (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 July 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

Tagline:

The Fabulous Tale OF A MAN OF MYSTERY!

Plot:

A mystery writer named Leyden is intrigued by the tale of notorious criminal Dimitrios Makropolous,...

Plot Keywords:

Writer | Criminal | Gunfire | Morgue | Corpse

Cast

Sydney Greenstreet	...	Mr. Peters
Zachary Scott	...	Dimitrios Makropoulos
Faye Emerson	...	Irana Preveza
Peter Lorre	...	Cornelius Leyden
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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Andre	...	French Train Conductor (uncredited)
Vince Barnett	...	Card Game Kibitzer (uncredited)
Felix Basch	...	Vazoff (uncredited)
John Bleifer	...	Coach Driver (uncredited)
Hella Crossley	...	Bulgarian Hostess (uncredited)
Carmen D'Antonio	...	Nightclub Dancer (uncredited)
Ray De Ravenne	...	French Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Fred Essler	...	Mr. Bostoff (uncredited)
Eddie Fields	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
Antonio Filauri	...	Man Across Table (uncredited)
Gregory Golubeff	...	Yugoslav Doorkeeper (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	Man Shadowing Peters and Leyden (uncredited)
Peter Helmers	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Rita Holland	...	Girl on Beach (uncredited)
Eddie Hyans	...	Turkish Man (uncredited)
Frank Lackteen	...	Turkish Soldier (uncredited)
Mary Landa	...	Flower Girl (uncredited)
Adolf E. Licho	...	Bulgarian Cafe Proprietor (uncredited)
Alphonse Martell	...	Roulette Croupier (uncredited)
Lal Chand Mehra	...	Turkish Servant (uncredited)
Louis Mercier	...	Bulgarian Policeman (uncredited)
Jules Molnar	...	Servant with Tray (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)
Pedro Regas	...	Turkish Morgue Attendant (uncredited)
Georges Renavent	...	Fisherman (uncredited)
Philip Rock	...	Boy on Beach (uncredited)
Leonid Snegoff	...	Stambulisky (uncredited)
Rola Stewart	...	Girl on Beach (uncredited)
Nick Thompson	...	Porter on Train (uncredited)
Albert Van Antwerp	...	Bulgarian Landlord (uncredited)
Michael Visaroff	...	Bulgarian Policeman (uncredited)
Marek Windheim	...	Hotel Clerk in Paris (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Negulesco

Writing credits
Eric Ambler		(novel "A Coffin for Dimitrios")
Frank Gruber		(screenplay)

Produced by
Henry Blanke	....	producer
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Adolph Deutsch

Cinematography by
Arthur Edeson

Film Editing by
Frederick Richards

Art Direction by
Ted Smith

Set Decoration by
Walter F. Tilford		(as Walter Tilford)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Sullivan	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Oliver S. Garretson	....	sound

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Jerome Moross	....	music arranger: orchestral arrangements (as Jerome Morross)
Julius Klein	....	musician (uncredited)

Other crew
Herschel Daugherty	....	dialogue director
Michael D. Kadri	....	technical advisor
Jack L. Warner	....	presenter
Louanne Hogan	....	humming voice: Faye Emerson (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (as Warner Bros.-First National Pictures)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1944) (USA) (theatrical)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #9821) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

For a scene taking place in the Parisian subway,which was rebuilt and filmed on Warner sound stage,the name of subway station "Balard" is misspelled and written "Ballard".

Quotes:

Cornelius Leyden: He was my friend...No, he wasn't my friend, but he was a nice man!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "It Takes a Thief: Guess Who's Coming to Rio (#2.13)" (1969)

Soundtrack:

Waltz from 'Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48'

Dimitrios Unmasked

Eric Ambler was in a way the John Le Carré of his generation. A few of his works were turned into fantastic films. The two best ones were "Journey Into Fear" and "The Mask of Dimitrios." From the opening sequence when a body is washed ashore and a group of beachcombers walk up to it, realize what it is, and run away screaming, to the final fade out, this movie grabs the viewer's attention and holds it.

The acting is brilliant, from the stand out performances of the two leads, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet to the smallest bit players. Zachary Scott in his first screen appearance is a knockout as the coldblooded, calculating, ruthless international schemer, Dimitrios Makropoulos. Faye Emerson as one of the women, Irana Preveza, Dimitrios used for his own selfish purposes then discarded is uncanny as she changes from a beautiful nightclub singer (in the flashback) to the worn out haggard shadow of a person she has become when relating her story to Cornelius Leyden (Lorre). She tells Leyden that Dimitrios was the only man she was ever actually afraid of. Adding to the effectiveness of this scene is the haunting "Perfidia (Tonight)," played in the background. Victor Francen gives a powerful portrayal of Wladislaw Grodek, someone else Dimitrios has double crossed.

The story unfolds as Leyden, a writer intrigued by Dimitrios' treachery, sets about to uncover as much information as possible about the archfiend in order to write a book. He views Dimitrios' corpse at the morgue then begins backtracking to separate fact from fiction. Enter a stranger who has been following him, a Mr. Peters or is it Peterson. The stranger too wants the facts on Dimitrios for what purpose is not clear.

Not only is the viewer enthralled by the picture of Dimitrios that slowly emerges, but the international scope of the hunt is riveting, Istanbul, the Hellespont, Sofia, Belgrade, Athens, Paris. This was also the time that Hitler's war was raging across Europe which only adds to the atmosphere involving spying and treason.