Robert Dalban Movies

Non Coupable translates as Not Guilty, which is definitely not the legal standing of provincial doctor Michel Simon. Already on the outs with the medical establishment because of his heavy drinking, Simon exacerbates the problem by inaugurating a clandestine romance. Things go from worse to worst when, after a particularly bibulous evening, Simon plows his car into a motorcyclist, then leaves the scene of the fatal accident. Reasoning that he can only be guillotined once for murder, Simon then goes on a homicidal rampage, killing his mistress' second lover, and then knocking off a rival doctor. Far from being repentant, Simon struts around hoping to be caught so that he'll be praised for the ingeniousness of his crimes. The film's title is elucidated ironically at the end, when the vainglorious Simon, disgusted that the local police are unable to link him with the murders, decides to mail his confession to the authorities-resulting in still another blow to his inflated ego. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Un Homme Marche Dans la Ville was Italian director Marcello Pagliero's first production in his adopted country of France. Filmed on location in a grimy seaside village, the story concentrates on a pugnacious longshoreman named Jean (J. P. Kerien). While endeavoring to help a troublesome friend keep his job, Jean must also fend off the amorous assaults of Madeleine (Ginette Leclerc), his friend's wife. This volatile situation inevitably leads to tragedy -- and to a multitude of unexpected repercussions. Director Pagliero's creative use of natural sound effects will be lost to anyone seeing an English-dubbed print of Un Homme Marche Dans la Ville. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The French/Italian Obsession was based on a novel by American suspense writer William Irish (aka Cornell Woolrich). Michelle Morgan and Raf Vallone are carnival performers, touring the provinces with a successful trapeze act. Though Morgan knows that Vallone is on the lam from a murder charge, she marries him anyway. When Vallone is sidelined by an injury, he is replaced by handsome young aerialist Jean Gaven, an unsuspecting friend of the man Vallone killed. Gaven is himself bumped off before long, prompting the disillusioned Morgan to turn over Vallone to the authorities. As it turns out, we're in Postman Always Rings Twice territory: Vallone didn't kill Gaven, but by the time the guilty party confesses, the police have confirmed that Vallone was responsible for the earlier murder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Chiens Perdus sans Collier (Lost Dogs without Collars) is a small-scale venture from director Jean Delannoy, who at the time was more closely associated with more elaborate efforts. Like many American films of the period, Delannoy's picture deals with the ever-growing problem of juvenile delinquency (the film's title is symbolic). Jean Gabin plays a white-haired judge who feels that the basic cause of teenaged crime is lack of parental love and supervision. His thesis would seem to be borne out by the cases of three young "lost dogs," whose desperate desire to "belong" ends in tragedy. As was his custom in the mid-1950s, Jean Delannoy handles his material with slickness but not much depth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sois Belle et Tais Toi is more popularly known by its American-release title Be Beautiful but Shut Up. Mylene Demongeot plays a birdbrained young lady who gets mixed up with a gang of juvenile-delinquent smugglers. The crooks use the heroine as their go-between, intending to leave her holding the bag if and when the cops show up. Fortunately, a handsome police inspector (Henri Vidal) catches on to their scheme. One of the screenwriters for Sois Belle et Tais Toi was no less Roger Vadim. When the film was first released, its direction was often erroniously credited to Marc Allegret. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The original "grumpy old men," Jean-Marie (Jean Gabin), Baptiste (Pierre Fresnay), and Blaise (Noel-Noel) raise havoc in this entertaining comedy by director Gilles Grangier. The trio of irritable, temperamental grouchy men abandon their village to go take up residence in a senior citizens' home. They have a great time playing tricks on others and venting about the inadequacies of modern youth. Each elderly eccentric has his moment in the spotlight, as their story unfolds in an episodic manner. In the end, the retirement-home staff become convinced that taking care of these characters lies above and beyond the call of duty. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this standard murder mystery with a twist, an attractive woman, Marta (Lea Massari), picks up a man who has just been released from jail. The former prisoner is anxious for company but does not want to violate the conditions of his release (he cannot go into Paris). Marta and her daughter take the ex-con to their home, where Marta and he then decide to go out for awhile together. When they get back, they discover her husband lying dead on the couch. The former convict has no intention of calling the police and takes off immediately -- though he comes back later to spy on the place and finds out that all is not what it first seemed. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Roger Vadim directs his ex-wife Brigitte Bardot once again in this conventional film about an innocent young woman, Genevieve (Bardot), who ends up on the losing side of a relationship with an alcoholic -- at least for awhile. Genevieve is a typical, introverted, middle-class woman who would like to be a homemaker and live relatively well. Instead, she goes to a small town to receive an inheritance, and by accident she walks into the wrong room in her hotel. And just in time. The alcoholic Renaud (Robert Hossein) who occupies the room has tried to kill himself with an overdose of sleeping pills. Genevieve saves his life, and the two soon strike up a dysfunctional relationship. Renaud degrades her in every way he can, yet she remains true to her honest feelings for him. The question, in the end, is whether Renaud will ultimately change for the better or Genevieve for the worse. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this non-sensationalistic drama, a young woman becomes a prostitute to prevent her lover from committing a robbery. Unfortunately, she soon finds herself involved in an international prostitution ring. She is soon plying her trade the world over until she lands in Hong Kong where she finally learns the bitter truth about her "lover" and becomes a heroin addict. The truth is told to her by an Interpol agent who informs her that her boyfriend's love was but a ruse to trick her into becoming a high-class hooker. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this French crime drama, two safe-crackers are breaking into a safe when they are caught in the act by a guard. One of the crooks kills the guard and flees leaving his partner behind. The abandoned accomplice is captured and convicted. One year passes before the convict is able to escape from prison and set out to exact his revenge. As he flees, he becomes friends with a gas station owner married to a gold-digging ex-hooker. When the wife learns that the hero is a fugitive she blackmails him into cracking her husband's safe. Unfortunately, they are captured by the owner who is killed in the ensuing scuffle by his wife. The fugitive hero then buries the body. He refuses to open the safe. As fate would have it, the fugitive's ex-partner happens upon the scene, but he too will not open the save. A short time later, the wife leaves. The partners then attempt to open it, but are surprised when the murderous wife returns with a shotgun. The fugitive's partner kills the girl, but as he tries to flee the police, his car careens into the gas pumps and explodes in a tremendous ball of fire. Fortunately, the hero escapes at the very last second. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide