| Photos (see all 3 | slideshow) |
| 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 | (director of photography) | ||
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) | |
|
|
|
|
|
| The Payoff | Out of the Past | Marie Galante | Lady Killer | The Maltese Falcon |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Crime section | IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |
This excellent slice of film noir sees classic actor Peter Lorre in a role that is less sinister than what we're used to seeing from him, but nevertheless; the refined performer manages a portrayal that really is a major asset for this film. The plot takes in elements of mystery and suspense and features themes of intrigue and greed at its centre. The film follows a writer who learns of a devilishly intelligent criminal by the name of Dimitrios Makropoulos, whose corpse is washed up on the shore of Istanbul. Knowing that this will give him a good base for a story, the writer follows his story across Europe and learns more and more about the illusive criminal. Much of the film's plot takes place in flashbacks, and in this respect, Jean Negulesco's film is very clever as we get to see the central figure's actions at the same time as learning about the kind of man he is; and like the writer at the heart of the tale, it's easy to become intrigued with the character of Dimitrios by watching the flashbacks.
The cast really is a strong element of this film, and starring alongside Peter Lorre is his co-star in The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca and The Verdict (to name a few), Sydney Greenstreet. These two actors work well together, and this is shown by the way that their dialogue flows. They're a bit of an odd couple, with Lorre being a very short European and Greenstreet being an enormous Englishman, but really that just adds to the appeal. An excellent supporting performance from a very dapper Zachary Scott rounds off the film in the acting department. The Mask of Dimitrios benefits from its dark picture, which in turn lends the film a grim and foreboding atmosphere. The locations are good, as the film takes place across Europe, with scenes taking place in Paris, Istanbul and Athens to name a few places. The plot moves very well as it straddles between what is happening in the present and what went on in the past, and Frank Gruber's screenplay does a great job of ensuring that the characters are well thought-out in a film that is as intriguing as it is thrilling. Recommended.