Night at the Crossroads

Night at the Crossroads
Title card from the film
Directed by	Jean Renoir
Written by	Jean Renoir (adaptation et mise en scène de)
Based on	Georges Simenon (novel) (d'après le roman de)
Starring	Pierre Renoir Winna Winifried
Cinematography	Georges Asselin Marcel Lucien
Edited by	Marguerite Renoir
Color process	Black and white
Production company	Europa Films
Distributed by	Compagnie Franco Coloniale Cinématographique
Release date	18 April 1932 (1932-04-18) (Paris)
Running time	74 minutes
Country	France
Language	French

Night at the Crossroads (French: La Nuit du carrefour) is a 1932 French crime film by Jean Renoir, based on the novel of the same title (known in English as Maigret at the Crossroads) by Georges Simenon and starring Renoir's brother Pierre Renoir as Simenon's popular detective, Inspector Maigret.

The French director Jacques Becker, then apprentice to Renoir, worked as assistant director and production manager on the film.

Plot

The story concentrates on a gang of thieves who utilize a cross-road garage as the hideaway.

Cast

• Pierre Renoir as Le commissaire Maigret
• Winna Winifried as Else Anderson (as Winna Winfried)
• Georges Koudria as Carl Anderson (as George Koudria)
• Georges Térof as Lucas (as G. Terof)
• Dignimont as Oscar
• G.A. Martin as Granjean (as Martin)
• Jean Gehret as Emile Michonnet (as Gehret)
• Michel Duran as Jojo
• Manuel Raaby as Guido (as Rabby)
• Max Dalban as Le docteur (as Dalban)
• Roger Gaillard as Le boucher (as Gaillard)
• Boulicot as Un gendarme
• Jean Mitry as Arsène
• Jane Pierson as Mme Michonnet
• Lucie Vallat as Michelle, la femme d'Oscar

Reputation and influence

Often cited as being Jean Renoir's least well-known sound film, Night at the Crossroads has nonetheless maintained a very strong critical reputation. In an article republished as part of André Bazin's book on Renoir, the French New Wave critic and filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard described it as being "Renoir's most mysterious film" and "the only great French detective movie--in fact, the greatest of all adventure movies."

At a symposium on the Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr held at Facets Multimedia on 16 September 2007, American film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum mentioned that Tarr's then-new feature, The Man from London (also based on a novel by Georges Simenon), was influenced by Night at the Crossroads.

See also

• List of French films of 1932

External links

• Night at the Crossroads at IMDb
• Night at the Crossroads at AllMovie