Portrait of an Assassin
Synopsis
Brasseur plays Fabius, a reckless motorcycle driver, currently working in a carnival. When he begins to "choke up" in front of the crowd, Fabius decides it would be best to quit his job and leave for parts unknown. But first he must rid himself of his nagging wife. Attempting to kill his missus, he accidentally wounds carnival owner Catherine (Maria Montez). Fabius decides to continue risking his life when he falls for Catherine, who is "turned on" only by men in dangerous professions. Von Stroheim plays Eric, one of Catherine's ex-lovers, now hopelessly paralyzed. His tendency to "ham" confined by a body brace, Von Stroheim delivers one of his most effective performances.
Credits
Director (1)
Actors (12)
Production and distribution (3)
- Executive Producers : Société d'Etudes Cinématographiques et Artistiques (SECA), Union Technique Cinématographique (UTC)
- Film exports/foreign sales : Les Films du Loup
- French distribution : Societe d'Edition et de Location de Films (SELF)
Full credits (8)
- Screenwriters : Marcel Rivet, Henri Decoin
- Dialogue Writers : Charles Spaak, François Chalais
- Directors of Photography : Roger Hubert, Maurice Thiriet
- Editor : Germaine Artus
- Sound Recordist : Jacques Lebreton
- Continuity supervisor : Lucie Lichtig
- Production Designer : Roland Quignon
- Still Photographer : Raymond Voinquel
Media Gallery
Technical details
- Type : Feature film
- Genres : Fiction
- Sub-genre : Thriller
- Themes : Murder
- Production language : French
- Original French-language productions : Unspecified
- Nationality : 100% French
- Production year : 1949
- French release : 25/11/1949
- Runtime : 1 h 40 min
- Current status : Released
- Visa number : 8683
- Visa issue date : 01/08/1949
- Approval : Yes
- Production formats : 35mm
- Color type : Black & White
- Aspect ratio : 1.37
- Audio format : Mono
News & awards
Selections (1)
About
According to contemporary reports, Le Portrait d'Un Assassin was to have been directed by Orson Welles, who presumably would have also played the Pierre Brasseur role (though it would have been fun to see him in the Erich Von Stroheim part--or, for that matter, to watch him try to direct Von Stroheim).
