Latin Quarter (U.S. title: Frenzy ) is a 1945 British film directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Derrick De Marney, Joan Greenwood and Beresford Egan. It was written by Sewell adapted from the play L'Angoisse by Pierre Mills and C. Vylars. It was Sewell's second film version of the story, following The Medium in 1934. It was made by British National Films at their studios in Elstree.
Sewell called it "a very very artistic movie."
Contents
Plot
In the Paris of 1893, sculptor Charles Garrie enters into an illicit relationship with the married Christine Minetti. Christine's husband Anton also a sculptor, and mentally unstable. Anton finds out about Christine's affair and soon after she vanishes without trace. Although the police consider Anton the prime suspect in being involved in his wife's disappearance, they can find no incriminating evidence, nor any lead as to her whereabouts, alive or dead.
Anton's mental deterioration gathers pace, and in due course he is arrested for the murder of his mistress and in this case there is no doubt of his guilt. He still refuses however to give any indication of what happened to Christine. Charles remains desperate to discover Christine's fate, and relates the whole story to a criminologist. A psychic is called in and a séance is held in Anton's studio, revealing that Christine has always been much closer to home than anyone could have realised.
Cast
Derrick De Marney as Charles Garrie
Beresford Egan as Anton Minetti
Joan Greenwood as Christine Minetti
Frederick Valk as Dr. Ivan Krasner
Sybille Binder as Mme. Cordova
Joan Seton as Lucille Lindbeck
Lily Kann as Maria
Valentine Dyall as prefect of police
Gerhard Kempinski as sergeant
Espinosa as ballet master
Margaret Clarke as ballet mistress
Bruce Winston as Jo-Jo
Anthony Hawtrey as specialist
Martin Miller as morgue keeper
Reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "a This melodrama, originally written for the stage, makes a very poor film. It is permeated with artificiality and recalls in so many ways the bad old days of the British film at its worst as to be disturbing to anyone who hoped they were a thing of the past. Two minor parts, the concierge of Lily Kann and the morgue keeper of Martin Miller, are alone played in tune with the film's intentions: the rest are in varying degrees inadequate. The settings reek of the studio, the development of the story is faltering, and the direction is limp and unimaginative."
Picturegoer wrote: "Macabre murder mystery set in a convincing Paris which reflects credit on all concerned with its production. It makes no pretensions to be a 'super,' but certainly provides good melodramatic entertainment."
Picture Show wrote: "Although it is a little slow and artificial until it gets into its stride, it gathers momentum and towards the end it is really exciting and has a hair-raising climax. Intelligently acted and directed."