Le couteau dans la plaie (1962)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Anatole Litvak

Writers:

André Versini (idea)
Peter Viertel (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

12 December 1962 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Suspense Begins...From the Very First Second!

Plot:

Lisa Macklin, an Italian woman, has a fight with her American husband Robert in a Paris night club....

Plot Keywords:

Crash | Insurance | Night Club | Survivor | Italian Woman

Cast

Sophia Loren	...	Lisa Macklin
Anthony Perkins	...	Robert Macklin
Gig Young	...	David Barnes
Jean-Pierre Aumont	...	Alan Stewart
Yolande Turner	...	Barbara Ford (as Yolande Finch)
Tommy Norden	...	Johnny
Mathilde Casadesus	...	Mme. Duval, Concierge
Billy Kearns	...	Capt. Wade
Barbara Nicot	...	Regine
Louis Falavigna	...	Pharmacist
Elina Labourdette	...	Mme. Lafont
Régine	...	Mrs. Wade
Pascale Roberts	...	Streetwalker
Sophie Réal	...	Housemaid
Jean Ozenne	...	Mons. Babasse

Also Known As:

Five Miles to Midnight (USA)
Il coltello nella piaga (Italy)
La terza dimensione (Italy)
La troisième dimension

Runtime:

USA:110 min | Argentina:112 min | UK:103 min | West Germany:109 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex System)

Certification:

USA:Approved | Finland:K-16 | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Dear Film Produzione

Quotes:

Barbara Ford: I've given up eating. It's soooo old fashioned.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Jeepers Creepers (2001)

Mis-Matched Stars in Low-Budget Thriller

Anthony Perkins is not exactly the abusive husband type (especially to an ever-beautiful Sophia Loren). Add to it the plot elements of master-minding an insurance fraud, and the odds of good-natured Perkins pulling it off become immeasurable.

The sole survivor of a plane crash, Perkins was fortunate to have taken out a special insurance policy (even if the odds of dying in a crash were 1 in 1,000,000). Good wife Loren, already prepared for widowhood by the "news", gets a good shock when Perkins shows up, pressuring Loren to play along with the hoax to collect the insurance money.

Although the ending is somewhat of a surprise, the time spent getting there seems like an endless and tiresome walk through the woods, only to arrive at a run down greasy spoon as a reward. Without any frills or glamour, even shot in b&w, this is a less than average vehicle for either of the stars. Look for a young Tommy Norden (of TV's "Flipper" Fame) in a minor role. Otherwise, skip it altogether!**