The Murderer Lives at Number 21
| The Murderer Lives at Number 21 | |
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| Directed by | Henri-Georges Clouzot |
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| Music by | Maurice Yvain |
| Cinematography | Armand Thirard |
| Edited by | Christian Gaudin |
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Release date
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Running time
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83 minutes |
| Country | France |
The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (French: L'Assassin habite au 21) is a 1942 French comedy thriller film by director Henri-Georges Clouzot. Written by Clouzot and Belgian writer Stanislas-André Steeman (same title - published 1939), it was Clouzot's debut feature film. The film is about the hunt by detective Wens (Pierre Fresnay) for the murderer Monsieur Durand, who leaves calling cards and manages to be everywhere at once. With the aspiring actress Mila Malou (Suzy Delair), Wens follows clues to a seedy boarding house where he hopes to find the murderer.
The Murderer Lives at Number 21 was the fourth film written by Clouzot for the Nazi run film company Continental Films who made films to take the place of banned American films. Clouzot made several changes from the script including the characters Mila and Wens from his previous screenplay for Le dernier des six (1941). The film was released in France to critical acclaim.
Inspector Wenceslas (referred to as 'Wens' for short) Vorobeychik ( in Russian his name means "Sparrow") is assigned the case of a serial killer who leaves a calling card with the name 'Monsieur Durand' on his victims. Wens' mistress is the ditsy struggling actress Mila Malou who is determined to get noticed, and attempts to help Wens find the criminal. Wens discovers that Durand is a tenant at a boarding house at No. 21 Avenue Junot. Wens takes a room at the house in disguise as a Protestant minister. Suspects are arrested, but while each is in jail another Durand murder occurs. Both Mila and Wens discover who is responsible for the murders. Wens is captured, and as he is about to be killed when Mila and the police arrive and rescue him.
The Murderer Lives at Number 21 was the first feature film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot and was the fourth screenplay he wrote for the Nazi-owned company Continental Films. The budget for the film was considered to be quite generous and included materials that were extravagant by pre-war standards. As American films were banned during the German occupation of France during World War II, Continental Films aimed at quality and commercial success in their pictures and produced films that were to take the place of the American films.The Murderer Lives at Number 21 is a thriller with light comedic elements, which was the style of most mystery films during the occupation.
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