Meurtre en 45 tours

Most probably this movie tried to capitalized on the fantastic success of Les Diaboliques. From the same Boileau-Narcejac team of detective stories this one unfortunately does not work as it should. Except for Jean Servais at his cynical best, the cast is not convincing and the action drags through the usual twists of the suspense scenario.

When Boileau-Narcejac heard that Hitchcock wanted to transfer "celle qui n'était plus" (" Diabolique") to the screen,they made a lot of books on the same pattern:the dead might not be dead.It gave a masterpiece "Vertigo" (title of the book:"d'entre les morts" (=from the dead))and "a coeur perdu" which Etienne Perier transferred to the screen as "Meurtre en 45 tours" .

Darrieux's husband was killed in a car crash (accident? murder?)and did he really die?.The lady and her lover (Auclair) receive 45pm records ,with the dead's voice which threatens them "I'll come back...I'll come back".Pictures and photographs of the hubby which appear now and then are quite disturbing.

Actually this is one of the weakest Boileau-Narcejac's stories.You'll guess the culprit's name before the end .Add some very bland songs (Darrieux plays the part of a Chanteuse) and a captain not unlike Charles Vanel's in " Diabolique".

Etienne périer would continue in the detective film with such works as "la main à couper" or "Un Meurtre est un Meurtre".None of those works are particularly memorable.

Another one in the long line of triangular thrillers made in the wake of "Diabolique" (1955), "Murder at 45 RPM" is expertly directed, but the plot is pretty transparent; after all, there isn't exactly a wealth of characters to spread your suspicions upon. Danielle Darrieux looks stunning, maturing like wine of the finest quality. **1/2 out of 4.

My review is of the English-dubbed version of this film, entitled MURDER AT 45 RPM (interestingly, Reed Hadley seems to be voicing at least one if not two characters in the English-dubbed version). As a fan of murder mysteries, I must give this thumbs up. You are provided with a small group of suspicious characters, an interesting mystery that goes way beyond "who killed whom", and the usual French technical virtuosity and spiritual malaise. Serious mystery fans will probably place this on the same shelf with PLEASE MURDER ME and THE NIGHT WALKER, and it's as clever as either of those gems. I also like the fact that the writers of the film have constructed it in such a way that you really don't know if the victim is even dead until the film's final scene...which is AFTER the "resolution" of the crime! There are nice ironic twists throughout, but in unexpected ways. Overall, a nice little genre film that the serious murder mystery fan is sure to enjoy.

This movie is not the best adaptation of a Boileau et Narcejac book because of Périer's weak direction, but the mysterious story is still strong enough with the 45 t record gimmick and there are Darrieux, Auclair and Servais. Very far from being a masterpiece, it's still entertaining. From Boileau and Narcejac at that time, try "Maléfices" by Decoin, his last good noir movie.