''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 Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means ...

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 Gen ...

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 Shalom "Sam" Jaffe (March 10, 1891 – March 24, 1984) was an American actor, teacher, musician, and engineer. In 1951, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ''The Asphalt Jungle'' (1950) and app ...

Paul Carpenter Paul Carpenter may refer to: *Paul Carpenter (actor) (1921–1964), Canadian actor and singer * Paul Carpenter (baseball) (1894–1968), minor league baseball player * Paul B. Carpenter (1928–2002), American politician See also *Paul Carpenter St ...

, 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 Havis ...

and Gérard Séty,. 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. ...

. The film's sets were designed by the art director René Renoux.

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 *

as Sam Cooper *

as Le colonel Howard * Véra Clouzot as Lucie *

as Connie Harper * Gérard Séty as Le docteur Malic * Gabrielle Dorziat as Madame Andrée - I'infirmière * Louis Seigner as Valette - le morphinomane * Pierre Larquey as Le chauffeur de taxi * Georgette Anys 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 as Le garçon de café * Dominique Davray 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 Helper Apostle of the Old Apostolic Church of Africa and founder of the Non-White Old Apostolic Church, that was later renamed to the Reformed Old Apostolic Church The ...

as Le contrôleur *

Patrick Dewaere Patrick Dewaere (26 January 1947 – 16 July 1982) was a French film actor. Born in Saint-Brieuc, Côtes-d'Armor, he was the son of French actress Mado Maurin. Actor from a young age, his career lasted more than 21 years, until his suicide in ...

as Le petit Moinet (as Patrick Maurin) * Clément Harari 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 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