The Black Book (released under the titles Reign of Terror and The Black Book 1 , 2 ) is an American film of Anthony Mann, released in 1949 and located under the French Revolution .
This historical costume film uses the plot features, type of characters and stylistic techniques of a film noir , as well as the thriller 3 atmosphere and many elements of the chase film.
The film is released in France on DVD on March 6, 2012 4 .
Synopsis
Charles d’Aubigny is sent to France by La Fayette to plots with Barras so that Robespierre can not become dictator of fact. He must take the identity of Duval, after killing him. Under this name, he meets Robespierre who reveals to him that he has recorded a black list of the enemies of France in a small book. D’Aubigny will therefore do everything to seize it, with the help of Madelon …
Technical sheet
- Original title: Reign of Terror
- Alternative title: The Black Book
- French title: Le Livre noir
- Director: Anthony Mann
- Scenario: Aeneas MacKenzie , Philip Yordan
- Artistic direction: William Cameron Menzies , Edward Ilou
- Sets: Armor Marlowe , Al Orenbach
- Costumes: Jay Morley
- Photography: John Alton
- Sound: John R. Carter
- Music: Kaplan Sol
- Editing: Fred Allen
- Production: William Cameron Menzies
- Associated Production: Edward Lasker
- Associate production company: James T. Vaughn
- Production Company: Walter Wanger Productions
- Distribution Company: Eagle-Lion Films
- Country of origin: United States
- Original language: English
- Format: Black and White – 35mm – 1.37: 1 – Mono Sound (Western Electric Sound System)
- Genre: historical drama
- Duration: 89 minutes
- Release date :
- United States :(world premiere in New Orleans )
- France :
Distribution
- Robert Cummings : Charles of Aubigny
- Richard Basehart : Maximilian of Robespierre
- Arlene Dahl : Madelon
- Richard Hart : Paul Barras
- Arnold Moss : Fouche
- Norman Lloyd : Tallien
- Charles McGraw : the sergeant
- Beulah Bondi : Grandmother Blanchard
- Jess Barker : Saint-Just
- Russ Tamblyn : Pierre, eldest son of Pierre Blanchard
- John Doucette : Pierre Blanchard, a farmer
- Dan Seymour : the innkeeper
- Victor Kilian : the jailer
- Georgette Windsor : Cecilia
- William Challee : Bumblebee
- Wade Crosby : Danton
- Frank Conlan : the guard
- Ellen Lowe : Marie Blanchard
- Wilton Graff : The Fayette
- Charles Gordon : Duval
- Shepperd Strudwick : Napoleon Bonaparte
- Clancy Cooper (uncredited): a guard of Saint-Just
Notes and references
- ↑ The Black Book [ archive ] post at IMP Awards
- ↑ According to the AFI (Cf. external link), the film was originally released under the title Reign of Terror in the summer of 1949 , but when released in New York in the autumn of the same year, the title used was The Black Book
- ↑ William Darby, Anthony Mann: the movie career , McFarland,, 294 p. ( read online [ archive ] ) , p. 81-89.
- ↑ Thibaut Matrat, ” The Abyss ,” The Interlude , ( read online [ archive ] )