one of my absolute favorites!

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

When a life-long bachelor police investigator from Paris takes a much needed vacation to the country, he finds more than he bargained for when a much younger pretty local maiden, excited by his glamorous city life, takes an interest in him. He's savvy as far as catching criminals and keeping law and order, but probably a bit too naive in the ways of understanding the female mind, especially one who longs more exciting things than what her provincial life has in store for her. They begin to spend romantic evenings together, but a young local farmer who has been away turns up to claim her, having been promised to her since they were children. This leads to the farmer becoming violently jealous, threatening both of them and resulting in murder, but not of who the audience suspects it will be.Steven Geray, a gentle European character actor, is perfectly cast as the seemingly mild mannered investigator who doesn't plan on falling in love but is obviously too lonely not to respond to the attentions of the pretty Micheline Cheirel. Her parents (Eugene Borden and Ann Codee) have differing opinions on her attentions towards Geray with the socially ambitious Codee pushing her daughter towards Geray and away from the handsome but brooding Paul Marion who makes threats both towards Geray and Cheirel, to whom he says, "I'd rather see you dead than in the arms of anybody else!". It's obvious that Cheirel is not in love with Geray but definitely infatuated with him, and her sexual desires towards Marion make it clear that a marriage with Geray would be doomed.The build-up to the murders makes the audience believe that somebody else is going to get knocked off first, not the actual initial victim. This gives the story some unexpected twists and turns that you don't see coming. It also builds up into great suspense. Beautifully moody photography and a gorgeous countryside setting make this lovely to look at, although certain physical elements give the impression that this was set some twenty years before it actually was. The twist of the plot as it reaches its conclusion, added with the performance of Helen Freeman as the hotel maid who realizes the truth, makes this a riveting melodrama, even if a few elements of its plot are somewhat unbelievable.

I just discovered "So Dark the Night" in the recently released "Film Noir Classics 4" set from Turner Classic Movies. Although it is presented as a border line "noir" it is really a complex little murder mystery with a few surprises thrown in. Filmed on a modest budget on studio bound sets in good old Black and White, it runs a scant 71 minutes.Director Joseph H. Lewis has assembled a cast of largely unknown actors which adds to the mystery elements of the film. Steven Geary plays Parisian detective Henri Cassin who is burned out and ordered to take a vacation by his boss Commissioner Grande (Gregory Gaye). Cassin goes to a country inn and there meets the proprietor's young daughter Nannette Michaud (Micheline Chierel)whereupon a May-December romance begins. Nanette hopes to escape her small village to the lights and glamour of Paris.The girl's father Pierre Michaud opposes the relationship because Nanette is already betrothed to local farmer Antoine (Frank Arnold) and he feels that the age difference between Cassin and Nanette is too great. Antoine is also opposed to the union and promises to continue to pursue Nanette even after her planned marriage to the detective. Mama Michaud (Ann Codee) is pushing Nanette into the relationship to help her to a better life.Nanette and her fiancé are found murdered causing Cssin's vacation to be cut short. He soon begins to investigate the murders with surprising results. The suspects include Nanette's parents, a sinister looking widow (Helen Freeman) and a hunchback (Brother Theodore)Cassin's resolution of the murders comes after he gives a description of the murderer from the clues he has gathered to the police artist back in Paris. The murderer then turns out to be................................................................A good movie.

"So Dark the Night" is a frustrating film to watch. That's because it's such a high quality film and yet the finale is amazingly unsatisfying. In fact, up until near the end of the movie I might have give the film an 8 (a great score for a low-budget B-movie)--but because of the ridiculously improbable ending, I think it earns a 6.As I mentioned above, this film is a low-budget B-movie. None of the stars of the film have household names, though if you adore old films, you will at least recognize the face of the leading man, Steven Geray. Geray has a very rare chance to star here--usually he's a supporting actor and is hardly the leading man type. However, he's wonderful in this role and shows he really was a fine actor. The other star of the film is the director--Joseph H. Lewis. He was able to make the movie look great--a lot better than a normal B-movie. And, you'd swear the project took more than just 16 to complete.The story is about a famous French detective. He's highly respected but also a workaholic who desperately needs a vacation. So, he goes to a quite rural town where he is warmly welcomed. However, soon there are a pair of murders--and the detective's vacation is brought to an end. However, this killer is no ordinary murderer--this one has the detective totally stumped. At this point in the film, I was pretty impressed. What did NOT impress me was the weird psychological twist at the end of the film--it seemed a bit silly and just didn't work for me. It's a shame, as up until then it really was a pretty good film. Still, despite this silly twist, it's not a bad movie. See it yourself and let me know what you think about the ending.

French detective, Henri Cassin(Steven Geray) finally gets a vacation after eleven years, heads out into the countryside for some much deserved rest and relaxation. His reputation known outside of Paris, even in a small village it seems Cassin can not escape murder and investigation.This little movie was a nice surprise because I'm not familiar with the director, Joseph H Lewis, but his camera is quite arresting and fluid. The ensemble cast is spirited, with a delightful lead performance from Geray as the chipper, celebrated detective, a bachelor with eyes for Nanette(Micheline Cheirel) , whose parents run the inn for which he's staying in the village. Nanette is engaged, though, to a handsome, young farmer, Leon(Paul Marion), while dreaming of a life in Paris, away from the mundane life of the country. Monsieur Cassin is in love for the first time, life as a detective has aged him and so this moment is quite rewarding for someone so associated with crime and murder, during an entire career.I particularly love how Geray gazes lovingly at Micheline Cheirel when she appears, his face emanates. But, this feeling of sudden joy is only temporary as Nanette's body is found in a nearby river, having run after Leon who didn't respond well to the news that, while he was gone, she had agreed to marry Cassin. When Leon is found in his barn strangled like Nanette(bottle of acid in his hand to supposedly assume he had took his own life after strangling Nanette), Monsieur Cassin's sleuthing turns up a double homicide, a footprint implicating someone. A note is presented to Cassin as a word of warning from the murderer that another would die. No motive befuddles the detective and when the next target turns up being Nanette's mother, he becomes consumed with solving this puzzling case. Even Cassin's credibility is in question as he tirelessly(mind, body and soul) pursues the killer.What positively stuns me is what Cassin turns up, and I wouldn't dare give this development up. Not in a million years. The evidence points to one man, only one could match the description, the footprint, the handwriting of the death notes..the revelation throws this genre, the murder mystery, for a loop, with schizophrenia/split personality disorder even tossed in the mix for extra oomph. Definitely recommended to fans of Hitchcockian kind of fare. I dig Lewis' style, he has an affinity for arranging big open shots(his shot of the bridge, an object of symbolic importance throughout as it is where a lot of the drama transpires, including the discovery of Nanette's body, especially striking), and tightly confined close-ups(it is said that Lewis had to shoot so much up close due to budgetary and time constraints). Consider me a Joseph H Lewis fan..why is it always these guys who are used by studios to churn out little movies to accompany supposedly great ones that wind up standing the test of time?