The Mask of Dimitrios

Director: Jean Negulesco Jean Negulesco

Overview

Zachary Scott made his screen debut in this clever bit of film noir that has gained a cult reputation in recent years. Dutch mystery novelist Cornelius Leyden (Peter Lorre) is travelling through Istanbul when he meets Col. Haki (Kurt Katch), head of the secret police and a big fan of Leyden's work. He offers to tell Leyden about Dimitrios Makropoulos (Zachary Scott), a notorious criminal whose body was just found washed up on the beach. It seems that Makropoulos was involved in nearly every sort of lawless act imaginable, from murder and blackmail to espionage and political assassination. Fascinated, Leyden decides that Makropoulos would be a fine subject for his next book, and he begins researching his life, beginning with Haki's dossier on the criminal. Leyden's research takes him through much of Europe; while en route by rail to Sofia, he meets a large man with an ingratiating chuckle, Mr. Peters (Sydney Greenstreet), who informs Leyden that "There is not enough kindness in the world," and tells him of a good hotel in town. Grateful for the advice, Leyden checks in, only to later find Peters ransacking his room and holding him at gunpoint; it seems that Peters had business with Makropoulos, and he isn't entirely convinced that the master criminal is dead -- especially since his body was found with shabby clothes and no money, and the police in Istanbul had never actually seen a photo of Makropoulos. Based on a novel by Eric Ambler, The Mask of Dimitrios also features Faye Emerson, who was in the news at the time, as she had just wed the son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/21/2013
UPC:	0883316781524
Original Release:	1944
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:35:00

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Zachary Scott	Dimitrios Makropoulos
Peter Lorre	Cornelius Leyden
Sydney Greenstreet	Mr. Peters
Faye Emerson	Irana Preveza
George Tobias	Fedor Muishkin
Victor Francen	Wladislaw Grodek
Steven Geray	Bulic
Florence Bates	Mme. Chavez
Eduardo Ciannelli	Marukakis
Kurt Katch	Col. Haki
Marjorie Hoshelle	Anna Bulic
George Metaxa	Hans Werner
John Abbott	Mr. Pappas
Monte Blue	Dhris Abdul
David Hoffman	Konrad
Philip Rock	Person on Beach
Rita Holland	Person on Beach
Rola Stewart	Person on Beach
Georges Renavent	Fisherman
Peter Helmers	Reporter
Lal Chand Mehra	Servant
Jules Molnar	Servant
Walter Palm	Servant
Pedro Regas	Morgue Attendant
Nino Pipitone	Hotel Clerk
Edward Hyans	Man
Antonio Filauri	Man
Alfred Paix	Man
Saul Gorss	Man
Frank Lackteen	Officer in Smyrna
Nick Thompson	Porter
Roman Bohnen	Actor
Hella Crossley	Hostess
Carmen D'Antonio	Nightclub Dancer
Fred Essler	Bostoff
John Bleifer	Coach Driver
Albert Van Antwerp	Landlord
Edgar Licho	Cafe Proprietor
Michael Visaroff	Policeman
Louis Mercier	Policeman
Felix Basch	Vaxoff
Leonid Snegoff	Stambulisky
Gregory Golubeff	Doorkeeper
Carl Neubert	Secretary
Lotte Palfi	Receptionist
John Mylong	Druhar
Mary Landa	Flower Girl
Alphonse Martell	Croupier
Ray de Ravenne	Taxi Driver
Marek Windheim	Hotel Clerk
Charles Andre	Conductor
Vince Barnett	Cafe Customer
Adolph Deutsch	Composer
Jean Negulesco	Actor

Technical Credits

Frank Gruber

Jean Negulesco	Director
Frank Gruber	Screenwriter
Henry Blanke	Producer
Oliver Garretson	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

The Mask of Dimitrios is an intricate little conspiracy thriller-cum-film noir that provides a great deal of entertainment value for fans of intrigue and betrayal, all cast in shadowy light that obscures as much as it illuminates. Indeed, Mask would be a top tier noir entry were it not for the fact that the script bogs down in talk a bit too often. The dialogue is good, often enticing; but too often scenarist Frank Gruber settles for telling us things that, in a movie, he should be showing us. This is a minor flaw, however, and fans of this type of film will find Mask quite rewarding. Certainly the basic set-up -- is a recently discovered corpse truly that of the master criminal Dimitrios? -- is familiar but immensely workable, and the twists and turns that it provides are captivating. Jean Negulesco directs with style and flair; if he occasionally gets waylaid by some of the more verbose sections, he still pulls the film back on track and regains momentum each time. He's aided enormously by Arthur Edeson's superb cinematography, a crucial element in this type of film. The cast is a plus, too, with excellent work from Zachary Scott, Peter Lorre (playing a sympathetic character for once), Victor Francen and, above all, the unique Sydney Greenstreet.