''Les Espions'' ("The Spies") is a 1957 French-Italian noir

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, i ...

directed by

Henri-Georges Clouzot Henri-Georges Clouzot (; 20 November 1907 – 12 January 1977) was a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best remembered for his work in the thriller film genre, having directed ''The Wages of Fear'' and '' Les Diaboliques'', ...

and starring

Curd Jürgens Curd Gustav Andreas Gottlieb Franz Jürgens (13 December 191518 June 1982) was a German-Austrian stage and film actor. He was usually billed in English-speaking films as Curt Jurgens. He was well known for playing Ernst Udet in '' Des Teufels Gene ...

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

O. E. Hasse Otto Eduard Hasse (11 July 1903 – 12 September 1978) was a German film actor and director. Biography Hasse was born to Wilhelm Gustav Eduard Hasse, a blacksmith, and Valeria Hasse in the village of Obersitzko, Province of Posen, German ...

, Sam Jaffe, Paul Carpenter, Véra Clouzot,

Martita Hunt Martita Edith Hunt (30 January 190013 June 1969) was an Argentine-born British theatre and film actress. She had a dominant stage presence and played a wide range of powerful characters. She is best remembered for her performance as Miss Havish ...

and

Gérard Séty Gérard Séty (13 December 1922 – 1 February 1998) was a French actor. Partial filmography *'' The Temptation of Barbizon'' (1946) - Le chauffeur (uncredited) *'' Night Warning'' (1946) - Un pilote américain (uncredited) *''Patrie'' (19 ...

,. The music was composed by

Georges Auric Georges Auric (; 15 February 1899 – 23 July 1983) was a French composer, born in Lodève, Hérault, France. He was considered one of ''Les Six'', a group of artists informally associated with Jean Cocteau and Erik Satie. Before he turned 20 he ...

. It was shot at the Saint-Maurice in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the vis ...

René Renoux René Renoux (1904–2000) was a French art director.Buache p.162 Selected filmography * '' The Pure Truth'' (1931) * '' Topaze'' (1933) * '' Prince Jean'' (1934) * '' Speak to Me of Love'' (1935) * '' You Can't Fool Antoinette'' (1936) * '' The ...

Plot

The plot concerns a doctor at a run-down psychiatric hospital, who is offered a large sum of money to shelter a new patient. Soon the place is full of suspicious and secretive characters, all apparently international secret agents trying to find out who and what the patient is.

Cast

as Alex *

as Michel Kaminsky *

as Hugo Vogel * Sam Jaffe as Sam Cooper * Paul Carpenter as Le colonel Howard * Véra Clouzot as Lucie *

as Connie Harper *

as Le docteur Malic *

Gabrielle Dorziat Gabrielle Dorziat (1880–1979) was a French stage and film actress. Dorziat was a fashion trend setter in Paris and helped popularize the designs of Coco Chanel. The Théâtre Gabrielle-Dorziat in Épernay, France is named for her. Biography ...

as Madame Andrée - I'infirmière *

Louis Seigner Louis Seigner (23 June 1903 – 20 January 1991) was a French actor. He was born in Saint-Chef, Isère, France, the son of Louise (Monin) and Joseph Seigner, and died in Paris. He was the father of actress Françoise Seigner, with Marie Cazeaux, ...

as Valette - le morphinomane *

Pierre Larquey Pierre Larquey (10 July 1884 – 17 April 1962) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1913 and 1962. Born in Cénac, Gironde, France, he died in Maisons-Laffitte at the age of 77. Selected filmography * ''Patr ...

as Le chauffeur de taxi *

Georgette Anys Georgette Anys (15 July 1909 – 4 March 1993) was a French film and television actress. A character actress, she appeared mainly in French productions, but also some American films which were shot in Europe including Alfred Hitchcock's ''To Catc ...

as La buraliste *

Jean Brochard Jean Brochard (12 March 1893 – 17 June 1972) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1933 and 1966. Selected filmography * '' A Man's Neck'' (1933) - Petit rôle (uncredited) * ''Boubouroche'' (1933) * ''La ...

as Le surveillant-général *

Bernard Lajarrige Bernard La Jarrige (25 February 1912 – 29 May 1999) was a French film and television actor.Paietta p.17 His name is sometimes written as Bernard Lajarrige. Selected filmography * '' Orage'' (1938) - Un copain (uncredited) * ''La cité des lumi ...

as Le garçon de café *

Dominique Davray Dominique Davray (born Marie-Louise Gournay; 27 January 1919 in Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi) ...

as L'Alsacienne * Daniel Emilfork as Helmut Petersen - un espion * Jean-Jacques Lécot as Le faux contrôleur (as Jean-Jacques Lecot) *

Robert Lombard Robert William Lombard (18 October 1895 – July 1972) was the first coloured Coloureds ( af, Kleurlinge or , ) refers to members of multiracial ethnic communities in Southern Africa who may have ancestry from more than one of the various ...

as Le contrôleur * Patrick Dewaere as Le petit Moinet (as Patrick Maurin) *

Clément Harari Clément Harari (10 February 1919 – 16 February 2008) was an Egyptian-born French film and television actor.Bazin p.14 Selected filmography * '' It Happened in Paris'' (1952) * ''Ça va barder'' (1955) - Sammy Kern * ''Mon curé chez les pauv ...

as Victor - le faux garçon de café *

Sacha Pitoëff Sacha Pitoëff (born Alexandre Pitoëff; 11 March 1920 – 21 July 1990) was a Swiss-born French actor and stage director. Early life and education Pitoëff was born in Geneva, Switzerland, on 11 March 1920, the son of Russian-born parents ...

as Léon (as Sacha Pitoeff) *

Fernand Sardou Fernand Sardou (September 18, 1910 – January 31, 1976La Gloire de Pagnol
p. 235.) was a French singer ...

as Pierre

External links

* * 1957 films 1950s psychological thriller films 1950s spy films French spy thriller films French psychological thriller films Films directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot Films scored by Georges Auric Films with screenplays by Henri-Georges Clouzot Films set in psychiatric hospitals Cold War spy films 1950s French films {{psychological-thriller-film-stub