Mjeteconer Just perfect...

FrogGlace In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

Teddie Blake The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

mcannady1 I just received a wonderful copy of this film from TCM Shop. I was expecting a problem with the color, since a copy I had received from a fellow collector had strange color - pink for the sky and green in wrong places several years ago. (However, fingers crossed, I was hoping for an improvement).Though the film still has a disclaimer because of the ANCSCO Color problem, I was pleasantly surprised to see beautiful vivid color. Everything appears to be corrected as far as I can tell.THe acting of Charles Laughton, Franchot Tone, and Burgess Meredith was superb. I also liked Patricia Roc, Belita, and Jean Wallace in their roles. Not only were they totally convincing, but the breathtaking views of the Eiffel Tower and gorgeous Paris scenes were quite intriguing. Every scene is vivid and interesting. It was a pleasure to see Wilfred-Hyde White as Radek's former professor who was even afraid of him! Though the film is quite serious, there is a little humor toward the beginning when a waiter in a cafe shows Robert Hutton to the bar, where his wife and "his little blonde" are waiting.As the basic plot of the film has been described in previous reviews, I will just briefly comment on this great film.This Film Noir has the viewer on the edge of their chair during the cat and mouse scenes where the taunting killer leads Inspector Maigret and his assistants on a wild chase through the streets of Paris and over the rooftops. The climatic scenes are very frightening as he climbs the Eiffel Tower, with the man he had framed (Burgess Meredith) close behind him in deadly pursuit.A highly entertaining and timeless film accompanied by very lovely music.

elli-roushanzamir I was disappointed at the criticisms that this film inspired. So much of it is correct but not true. Admittedly I'm a huge fan of Georges Simenon in general & his Maigret novels in particular. The book A Man's Head, upon which this film is based, is one of the more intriguing, challenging and existential of the Maigret series. There are others; see The Tavern by the Seine. The film is similarly evocative: of Paris, 1949, of a weird mystery, of extremely odd characters--and some ordinary characters that involve themselves in extraordinary circumstance. The 1st time I watched the DVD I was distracted by the disintegrated production value, but not enough to refrain from recommending it to friends, to watching it repeatedly, to buy it as a b'day gift for a valued, long-term friend. I can only hope that the series of what are basically negative reviews won't discourage others from the pleasure of watching this film. And listed amongst the credits is indeed The City of Paris.

ma-cortes There were various production problems on this picture , including Charles Laughton's menacing to walk off the picture , as he asked leaving if the original director , Irving Allen , threatening to be replaced and Burguess Meredith then carried on the filming . The film happens in Paris , there a dandy named Bill Kirby (Robert Hutton : Invisible invader , Slime people , Vulture) wishes death his aunt , so he can get her inheritance and pay off divorce his spouse (Patricia Roc : Wicked lady , Canyon passage) and marry his lover (Jean Wallace , Cornel Wilde's wife) . A medicine ex-student named Radek (Franchot Tone , also film's producer) is hired to kill the old lady . By night , a knifes grinder , now become thief , named Heurtin (star Burgess Meredith eventually filmmaker) aware the murder but he loses his glasses and he's helped by the assassin . He's framed of killing and then escapes . Meanwhile , Radek is taunting the police and leaving fake clues and banter on Kirby's two women : the wife and lover . Inspector Maigret becomes involved into investigation and swiftly discovers the owner of the thick glasses , though there is no real evidence against him . Then , Inspector Maigret undergoes a cat and mouse game with Radek . It's a battle of wits , an obstinate detective and an intelligent villain , and winds up pitting two rivals against each other in order to destroy themselves . Meanwhile , there are developed pursuits through Paris streets , squares and on rooftops and an exciting chase on the girders of Eiffel Tower.The film is based on Georges Simenon novel about the famous detective Inspector Maigret who is adapted on various cinematic renditions . The movie displays suspense , thriller , action , mystery and results to be quite amusing . Casting is frankly magnificent , Laughton is excellent , as always , as Maigret who is early assigned to the case and quickly tracks down the suspicious ; Tone as a maniac-depressive man is top-notch and magnificent Burguess Meredith as a knife grinder becomes involved with problems , he directed partially the film when Laughton threatened to quit if Burgess Meredith did not take over . Besides , appearing Wilfrid Hyde White as a sympathetic professor and Howard Vernon (Jesus Franco's usual actor) as an Inspector . Numerous problems during shooting , as producer Irving Allen was the original director, but after only three days of shooting , Laughton directed the scenes in which Meredith appeared . Adapted from Georges Simenon's 1931 novel "La Tête d'un homme", his fifth to feature Inspector Maigret . It had already been filmed in France, under its original title, in 1933 . In spite of being splendidly shown streets , squares , monuments from Paris : River Sena , Eliseos Fields , Pigalle , Concorde Square and photographed by expert cameraman Stanley Cortez (Night of hunter , Magnificent Amberson , Secret beyond the door), the cinematography is lousy and faded but the film copy is worn-out , it's necessary an urgent remastering . The motion picture was rightly directed by Burguess Meredith , who replaced director Irving Allen (who was also one of the film's producer) . Allen himself was very dissatisfied with the final results . After its initial run , he bought the film rights back from RKO and kept the prints out of circulation for a long time. Many believed that the film was lost, even Meredith . However, it has been released on VHS and DVD and can be relatively easily found at rental stores . Burguess , subsequently , directed other film titled the ¨Yin and Yang of Mr. Go¨ , as well . The flick will appeal to Charles Laughton fans and intrigue lovers but contains a highly suspense story .

bkoganbing As I started watching The Man On the Eiffel Tower it looked like it was going to go in the direction of Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train. Robert Hutton is having a sit down with his wife Patricia Roc and his mistress Jean Wallace in a Paris cafe. He gets an offer from Franchot Tone who was all ears that he'd kill Hutton's aunt who controls the family pursestrings so that Hutton could be independent. Tone doesn't lack for chops. He not only does the deed with a maid thrown in for good measure, he manages to pin the crime on milquetoast Burgess Meredith who just happened on the scene. Fortunately police inspector Maigret as played by Charles Laughton doesn't buy the pat scenario. He turns up Tone as a suspect, but he can't quite pin it on him. Tone's character reeks of Nietzchean superiority and France had just gotten liberated from a country that bought into that philosophy. Probably for today's audience, especially an American one, that particular dynamic can't be appreciated.Even an escape allowed by the Paris police by Meredith blows up in Laughton's face and threatens to ruin the career of Inspector Maigret. Fortunately Laughton has a few tricks up his sleeve.What we have in The Man On the Eiffel Tower is three very distinguished players from stage and screen who got together and made the film almost as a lark. Tone spent his entire film career trying to get out from under typecasting as a debonair gentleman in tails who usually loses the girl in the end to a bigger name. Right after this was done Franchot Tone did exactly that role in Frank Capra's Here Comes the Groom. His role here as Radek is certainly miles away from his usual parts. Tone produced this as he also produced another independent film the year before, Jigsaw, which was shot in New York.He got friend Burgess Meredith to direct and play the stooge. The story unfortunately does sag at times until the climax chase scene on the Eiffel Tower. That whole sequence is almost like The Third Man except where Harry Lime seeks escape in the sewers of Vienna, superman Tone leads his pursuers up the Eiffel Tower. In the end though he's not quite the superman he thinks he is.Charles Laughton made a nice Inspector Maigret. This is the second French police inspector of literature he's done. But there sure is a world of difference between Maigret and Javert of Les Miserables. In fact Laughton is far more like Sir Wilfred Robards in Witness for the Prosecution than Javert. It's too bad that director Meredith didn't have the kind of computer generated special effects and had to rely on brave stunt men and actors to do the job. If Man on the Eiffel Tower were filmed today, I'm sure it would have been far better. This criticism is almost a cliché, but Alfred Hitchcock could have really done something with The Man on the Eiffel Tower.