Les diaboliques (1955)

Director:

Henri-Georges Clouzot

Writers:

Pierre Boileau (novel) and
Thomas Narcejac (novel) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 November 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

See it, be amazed at it, but... BE QUIET ABOUT IT! (original Finnish poster tagline)

Plot:

The wife of a cruel headmaster and his mistress conspire to kill him, but after the murder is committed, his body disappears, and strange events begin to plague the two women.

Plot Keywords:

Headmaster | Mistress | Swimming Pool | Murder | Bathtub

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Simone Signoret	...	Nicole Horner
Véra Clouzot	...	Christina Delassalle (as Vera Clouzot)
Paul Meurisse	...	Michel Delassalle
Charles Vanel	...	Alfred Fichet, le commissaire
Jean Brochard	...	Plantiveau, le concierge
Pierre Larquey	...	M.Drain, professeur
Michel Serrault	...	M. Raymond, le surveillant
Thérèse Dorny	...	Mme. Herboux
Noël Roquevert	...	M. Herboux
Yves-Marie Maurin	...	Moinet, une jeune Moynet
Georges Poujouly	...	Soudieu, un élève
Georges Chamarat	...	Dr. Loisy
Jacques Varennes	...	M. Bridoux, professeur
Robert Dalban	...	Le garagiste
Jean Lefebvre	...	Le soldat
Camille Guérini	...	Le photographe (as Camille Guerini)
Jacques Hilling	...	L'employé de la morgue
Aminda Montserrat	...	Madame Plantiveau
Jean Témerson	...	Le garçon d'hôtel (as Jean Temerson)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jean-Pierre Bonnefous	...	Le jeune De Gascuel (uncredited)
Jean Clarieux	...	Le chauffeur (uncredited)
Henri Coutet	...	L'employé de la morgue (uncredited)
Michel Dumur	...	Le jeune Ritberger (uncredited)
Johnny Hallyday	...	Un élève (uncredited)
Henri Humbert	...	Patard, le jeune Patard (uncredited)
Roberto Rodrigo	...	Le petit Jose (uncredited)
Madeleine Suffel	...	La dégraisseuse (uncredited)

Directed by
Henri-Georges Clouzot		(as H.G. Clouzot)

Writing credits
Pierre Boileau		(novel "Celle qui n'était plus") (as Boileau) and
Thomas Narcejac		(novel "Celle qui n'était plus") (as Narcejac)
Henri-Georges Clouzot		(scenario and dialogue) (as H.G. Clouzot) &
Jérôme Géronimi		(scenario and dialogue) (as Jérôme Geronimi)
René Masson		(collaboration) &
Frédéric Grendel		(collaboration)

Produced by
Henri-Georges Clouzot	....	producer (as H.G. Clouzot)

Original Music by
Georges Van Parys

Cinematography by
Armand Thirard

Film Editing by
Madeleine Gug

Art Direction by
Léon Barsacq

Production Management
Georges Testard	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michel Romanoff	....	assistant director

Sound Department
William Robert Sivel	....	sound (as William-Robert Sivel)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean Dicop	....	assistant camera
Daniel Diot	....	assistant camera
Robert Juillard	....	camera operator
Jean Lalier	....	camera operator
Louis Née	....	camera operator (as Louis Nee)
Jacques Robin	....	camera operator

Other crew
Richard Heinz	....	English version
Jeanne Witta-Montrobert	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Filmsonor
• Vera Films

Distributors

• Cinedis (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• United Motion Pictures Organization (UMPO) (1955) (USA) (theatrical) (English subtitles)
• Janus Films (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2009) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Pictures Corp. (1988) (USA) (TV) (new English subtitles)
• Crown Video (video)
• Foothill Video (video)
• Home Vision Cinema (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Nostalgia Video (video)
• Public Media (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)

Special Effects

• LAX Lab.

Other Companies

• Franstudio  studios

Also Known As:

Diabolique (USA)
Les Diaboliques: The Fiends (UK)
The Devils (USA) (TV title)

Runtime:

114 min | UK:92 min | USA:116 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1966) | Finland:K-18 (1968) | Finland:K-18 (1956) | South Korea:15 | Australia:PG | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated | Norway:16 | Italy:VM14 | UK:X (original rating) (1955) | UK:15 (re-rating) (1985)

Filming Locations:

Bressuire, Deux-Sèvres, France

Company:

Filmsonor

Trivia:

The film is based on Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac's novel "Celle qui n'était plus" (She Who Was No More). Alfred Hitchcock also attempted to buy the rights to this novel; Boileau and Narcejac subsequently wrote "D'Entre les Morts" (From Among the Dead) especially for Hitchcock, who filmed it as Vertigo (1958).

Goofs:

Continuity: When M. Delassalle has fallen into bed, Christina Delassale removes his shoes at his request. Later when Nicole Horner comes into the room, his shoes are on him again, and Nicole tells Christina to remove them. The shoes are still on his feet when he's put into the tub.

Quotes:

Michel Delassalle: [embarrassing Christina in the dining room while she is trying to eat some distasteful fish] Everyone is looking at you! Swallow!
Nicole Horner: It's disgusting!
Michel Delassalle: Sorry?
Nicole Horner: [angrily] Some things are hard to follow, and I'm not talking about the fish!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (2007)

Watch this film alone......and be afraid.

Are you alone? good. Have you turned off the lights? good.Is there a storm brewing in that dark foreboding sky?Excellent. Do you like brilliant black and white movies? Wonderful.Now, sit back and enjoy the best of the best. This is quite simply the best psychological thriller ever made.Often imitated but never bettered. If you have a problem with subtitled films then don't worry because you will understand this film without reading them. If you want slash and gore, go elsewhere.If you want sophisticated entertainment,you've come to the right place.Georges Cluzot's finest work is a thing of beauty as is his wife Vera, who stars opposite Simone Signoret as the schoolmaster's wife.From the very start it is very clear that all is not as it seems. But why? and who? What is the terrible secret of the swimming pool and later on, the bathtub? As the tension builds to an unbearable climax, we sit and hide behind our hands, peering through the gaps in our fingers.Oh my God!! it can't be!.....it is! Do not confuse this movie with the disgraceful remake starring Sharon Stone. All copies of that disaster should be burned. Watch this movie if you are a serious film buff. Rent something else if you have the attention span of a goldfish.Brilliant. 10/10