Albert Prejean Movies
A former WWI flying ace, French actor Albert Prejean is best known for playing heroes in the silent films of Rene Clair. Before entering the military, Prejean had worked as a nightclub entertainer and acrobat. His popularity in film began to wane after the advent of sound and he spent the rest of his career appearing in average-quality mainstream films. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1961
Popular American actor on the European scene, Eddie Constantine has a role that is slightly out of character for him. Instead of the usual, slightly ironic treatment of a tough guy out to fight gangsters, drug-runners, and other types from the demi-monde of crime, he is Charlie, a man sent up against a serious Nazi war criminal. Charlie has done well for himself but when a close friend asks him to track down the Nazi in Athens, he takes on the job -- his friend's brother was a victim of the Nazi during the war. Charlie runs into the usual resistance and soon finds that the Nazi's philosophy and arrogance have hit closer to home than what he thought. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Constantine, Carla Marlier, (more)
- 1946
The setting for this conventional wartime drama by Silvio Amadio is a damaged submarine resting on the ocean floor. The sailors inside the sub are caught in the worst possible situation. There seems to be no way to repair the craft, and the escape hatch is not functioning normally. Because of the damage it sustained, only one man on the submarine will be able to leave through the hatch. As the tension mounts and the time draws near for only one of them to escape, the men are not heroes but just a group of frightened human beings. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Germaine Kerjean, Albert Prejean, (more)
- 1945
L'Assassin n'est pa Comable translates as The Murderer is Not Guilty -- a seemingly paradoxical title, but perfectly true within context of the story. Jules Berry plays a famous film star whose latest production is plagued with bad luck. Eventually a murder is committed on the set, and the most likely suspected is arrested. Berry believes that the "killer" is innocent, and decides to play detective to prove it. Of interest is the fact that the story unfolds in its entirety at a movie studio, thereby saving the producers the cost of building sets. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacqueline Gauthier, Rosine Derean, (more)
- 1944
Les Caves du Majestic (Majestic Hotel Cellars) is based on a novel by Georges Simenon. Albert Prejean stars as Simenon's fabled Parisian sleuth Inspector Maigret, here tackling the case of a murder in "high places." While the rest of police tread delicately, fearing reprisals from the wealthy people involved in the crime, Maigret carefully and dispassionately pieces the clues together and nabs the killer. Ample comedy relief is provided by Charpin as a dry-witted judge and Gabriello as a corpulent hotel detective. Filmed in France during the Occupation, Les Caves du Majestic was released in the U.S. in 1945. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Prejean, Denise Grey, (more)
- 1943
Andre Cayatte's Shop Girls of Paris was originally released in 1943 as Au Bonheur des Dames. Adapted from a novel by Emile Zola, the story is a surprisingly contemporary one. When the first major department store is established in Paris, everyone is delighted -- everyone except the Mom-and-Pop store owners, who predict (quite rightly, as it turns out) that they'll soon be put out of business. The film concentrates on the plight of one elderly shopkeeper (Michel Simon) and his orphaned niece (Blanchette Brunoy), who, lacking a steady source of income, goes to work for the larger store. Some critics have likened Shop Girls of Paris to Orson Welles' similarly elegiac The Magnificent Ambersons, though Cayatte's film has a more blatantly tragic denouement. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Blanchette Brunoy, Suzy Prim, (more)
- 1939
In The Alibi, clever, ruthless nightclub mind-reader Prof. Winckler (Erich von Stroheim) murders an old enemy and bribes the nightclub hostess Helene (Jany Holt) into saying that they were together for the entire night. However, police investigator Calas (Louis Jouvet) doesn't believe the alibi and pursues the investigation. The Alibi is well-directed by Pierre Chenal who makes the most of his interesting cast. Louis Jouvet is outstanding as the very intelligent and cunning police inspector. Erick von Stroheim, at the end of his career, gives a showing, scene-stealing and quite menacing performance as Wincler. This fine French production, shown with subtitles, has a well-conceived and executed premise and an excellent score, partially composed by the innovative Georges Auric. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Erich Von Stroheim, Louis Jouvet, (more)
- 1939
L'Or du Cristobal is based on the novel by A. T. Sersteven. Albert Prejean plays the first mate of the French freighter Cristobal when he's suspected of carrying on with Dita Parlo, the wife of the ship's captain. Once on dry land, Prejean is informed by cabaret dancer Conchita Montenegro that the Cristobal carries a priceless secret cargo of gold. In concert with corrupt police official Charles Vanel, Prejean plots to divest the freighter of its wealth, but the two conspirators eventually fall out thanks to the treacherous Montenegro. Director Jacques Becker also contributed to the screenplay of L'Or du Cristobal without credit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dita Parlo, Conchita Montenegro, (more)
