The Mask of Dimitrios

"The fabulous tale of a man of mystery!"

1944 1h 35m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 59

CrimeDramaMystery

Synopsis

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A mystery writer is intrigued by the tale of notorious criminal Dimitrios Makropolous, whose dead body was found washed up on the shore in Istanbul. He decides to follow the career of Dimitrios around Europe, in order to learn more about the man. Along the way he is joined by the mysterious Mr. Peters, who has his own motivation.

“The fabulous tale of a man of mystery!”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Sydney Greenstreet
Mr. Peters
Zachary Scott
Dimitrios Makropoulos
Faye Emerson
Irana Preveza
Peter Lorre
Cornelius Leyden
Victor Francen
Wladislaw Grudek
Steven Geray
Karel Bulic
Florence Bates
Madame Elise Chavez
Eduardo Ciannelli
Marukakis

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jean Negulesco
Writers: Frank Gruber
Languages: English
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.

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Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

82 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jean Negulesco, shot by Arthur Edeson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sydney Greenstreet and Zachary Scott and Faye Emerson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The fabulous tale of a man of mystery!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0037055 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 59 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jean Negulesco directs. Arthur Edeson behind the camera. Adolph Deutsch scores. Frederick Richards cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

182 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Jean Negulesco, shot by Arthur Edeson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Adolph Deutsch. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Frederick Richards shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Sydney Greenstreet and Zachary Scott and Faye Emerson carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The fabulous tale of a man of mystery!".
7IMDB entry: tt0037055 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 59 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Arthur Edeson
Original score: Adolph Deutsch
Editing: Frederick Richards
Makeup / hair: Perc Westmore
Runtime: 95 min · 1h 35m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)

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Jean Negulesco

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John Chard2016-02-10
★ 8/10
A Coffin for Dimitrios. The Mask of Dimitrios is directed by Jean Negulesco and adapted to screenplay by Frank Gruber from the novel "A Coffin for Dimitrios" written by Eric Ambler. It stars Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Zachary Scott and Faye Emerson. Music is by Adolph Deutsch and cinematography by Arthur Edeson. "For money, some men will allow the innocent to hang. They will turn traitor...they will lie, cheat, steal...they will kill. They appear brilliant, charming, generous! But they are deadly. Such a man was Dimitrios" Dimitrios alright - ruthless and primitive. Foreign intrigue mystery thriller dressed up in film noir clobber, Jean Negulesco's film is a treat for the so inclined. Often tagged as the inferior baby brother of John Huston's The Maltese Falcon, that statement shouldn't detract from what a good film Dimitrios is. Plot finds Lorre as mystery novelist Cornelius Leyden, who after learning of the body of master scally-wag Dimitrios Makropoulos (Scott) being washed up dead on the shores of the Bosphorus, seeks out his history in the hope of writing a novel about him - aided by the suspicious Mr. Peters (Greenstreet). What he finds is waters more muddier and deeper than the Bosphorus itself. Narrative is a two pronged affair, we are in the company of Leyden and Peters during real time, and in the dubious company of Dimitrios in a number of flashbacks that introduce new characters that are bruised and battered, or worse, by Dimitrios' actions. The story moves through a number of exotic European locations, ensuring there's always a cosmopolitan feel to the intrigue. Intrigue that ticks away nicely because nothing you sense is as it seems. Moody atmosphere is unbound via Edeson's (also The Maltese Falcon) photography, plenty of low lights and shadows ensure all the mystery machinations are given added impetus. Back on release some critics bemoaned the lack of action and of "A" list stars, which now looks very unfair criticism. Certainly Greenstreet and Lorre to their fans have never been seen as lesser lights, their body of work holding up as joyous celluloid art. While the lack of action is irrelevant, this is about story telling and of characterisations, of mystery unravels, all of which leads to a super finale that rewards those who invested their time. 8/10

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