Crack in the Mirror

1960 1h 37m EN

🙌

7.5

BANGER

★7.5TMDB · 4

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Three stars appear in two separate but intertwined stories of romantic triangles gone wrong in this ambitious drama. In the first segment, Hagolin is a loutish construction worker with an unhappy wife, Eponine. The wife becomes involved with a swarthy working man, Larnier, and their passion knows no boundaries of caution or safety. Eventually, Eponine's and Larnier's lust drives them to madness, and they murder Hagolin. The second tale concerns an up-and-coming young lawyer, Claude, whose mentor is a highly successful veteran attorney, Lamerciere, with a beautiful young wife named Florence. Claude finds himself defending Larnier and Eponine, while Lamerciere dies of a heart attack after he discovers that Florence has been unfaithful to him with Claude.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Orson Welles
Hagolin / Lamerciere
Juliette Gréco
Eponine / Florence
Bradford Dillman
Larnier / Claude
Alexander Knox
President
Catherine Lacey
Mother Superior
Yves Brainville
Prosecutor
William Lucas
Kerstner
Maurice Teynac
Doctor

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Richard Fleischer
Writers: Darryl F. Zanuck, Jules Dassin
Languages: English, French
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

66 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Richard Fleischer, shot by William C. Mellor. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Maurice Jarre. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Roger Dwyre shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Orson Welles and Juliette Gréco and Bradford Dillman carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0053735 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Richard Fleischer directs. William C. Mellor behind the camera. Maurice Jarre scores. Roger Dwyre cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

166 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Richard Fleischer, shot by William C. Mellor. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Maurice Jarre. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Roger Dwyre shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Orson Welles and Juliette Gréco and Bradford Dillman carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0053735 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 4 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.