Le corbeau (1943)

Director:

Henri-Georges Clouzot

Writers:

Louis Chavance (screenplay)
Henri-Georges Clouzot (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

28 September 1943 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Une petite ville comme il en est tant en France. [Original Version]

Plot:

French village doctor becomes target of poison-pen letters sent to village leaders, accusing him of affairs and practicing abortion.

Plot Keywords:

Letter | Secret | Poison Pen Letter | Village | Doctor

Cast

Pierre Fresnay	...	Le docteur Rémy Germain
Ginette Leclerc	...	Denise Saillens
Micheline Francey	...	Laura Vorzet
Héléna Manson	...	Marie Corbin, l'infirmière
Jeanne Fusier-Gir	...	La mercière
Sylvie	...	La mère du cancéreux
Liliane Maigné	...	Rolande Saillens
Pierre Larquey	...	Michel Vorzet
Noël Roquevert	...	Saillens, la maître d'école
Bernard Lancret	...	Le substitut
Antoine Balpêtré	...	Le docteur Delorme (as Antoine Balpétré)
Jean Brochard	...	Bonnevie, le trésorier de l'hôpital
Pierre Bertin	...	Le sous-préfet
Louis Seigner	...	Bertrand
Roger Blin	...	François, le cancéreux du 13

Also Known As:

L'oeil du serpent (France) (working title)
L'oiseau noir (France) (working title)
Laura (France) (working title)
Lettres anonymes (France) (working title)
Maladie contagieuse (France) (working title)
The Raven
Der Rabe (Germany) (TV title) (West Germany) (TV title) [de]
El cuervo (Spain) [es]
Il corvo (Italy) [it]
Korpen (Sweden) [sv]
To koraki (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Wide Range Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) (cut) | UK:PG (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Montfort-l'Amaury, Yvelines, France

Company:

Continental Films

Trivia:

The screenplay is based on a true story which took place in Tulle (Corrèze, France) in the 1920s.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Le docteur Rémy Germain: [washes blood off his arms] I saved the mother.
Grand-mother: And the baby?
Le docteur Rémy Germain: No.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Le zèbre (1992)

Famous French Classic Film

This film was produced while the Nazi's occupied France in 1943 and was financed by the Germans. After the war with Germany, France was very upset with the film and would not allow it to be shown. However, as we know today, it has become a great French film classic and has many awards. This film was considered a mystery thriller, with a person writing poison pen letters under the name Le Corbeau (English Translation: The Raven) Most of these poison pen letters were written to all the towns people and told of many dark secrets they were hiding. One person was in a hospital which was numbered # 13 and wanted desperately to change his bed because it was bad luck. All kinds of problems resulted from these letters signed by the Raven and before you know it, this story becomes a mystery that seems to never end. Great film to view and enjoy, try to view it some time on late time TV.