Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre make a marvelous team in this exhilarating and atmospheric Film-Noir that Daily Variety hailed as “one of the most brilliant crime dramas yet filmed.” When the body of Dimitrios Makropoulos (Zachary Scott) washes ashore in Istanbul, there is cause for celebration all across Europe. The devious sociopath has left as his legacy an array of crimes including blackmail, thievery, murder and high treason. Interested in chronicling the dead man's unscrupulous exploits, mystery writer Cornelius Leyden (Lorre) takes up his trail, aided by a mysterious man named Peters (Greenstreet). But as Leyden zeroes in on the truth about Dimitrios, he finds that his new associate has an ulterior motive in helping him – with Leyden as the unwitting accomplice! As suspenseful and riveting as the Eric Ambler novel on which it is based, The Mask of Dimitrios is “an exceptional picture” (Los Angeles Times) that delivers nonstop, pulse-quickening excitement!
Istanbul, 1938. A corpse identified as Dimitrios Markopoulos washes up on the beach, bringing an end to the career of the elusive international smuggler. Fascinated by Dimitrios' life story, the Dutch mystery author Cornelius Leyden (Peter Lorre) decides to turn it into a novel and travels to exotic locales such as Athens, Sofia and Paris in order to retrace the criminal's rise from fruit picker to master smuggler. Along the way, he runs across former lovers and colleagues, including Mr. Peters, who ingratiates himself with Leyden and offers him a handsome reward to complete his investigation. But Leyden's journey reveals unsettling truths about Dimitrios, his associates, and even himself.
The Mask of Dimitrios (1944) is usually considered the real directing debut of Romanian born Jean Negulesco (1900-1993); he was taken off of his first project, Singapore Woman (1941) mid-production, although he was still credited as its sole director. In 1940, Negulesco was working as a screenwriter at Warner Brothers when Jack Warner offered him and other writers and short film directors the opportunity to direct a low-budget feature film based on un-produced studio properties or remakes of previously unsuccessful projects. Negulesco proposed a new version of Dashiell Hammett's novel The Maltese Falcon , but the project was given to John Huston instead. Huston later returned the favor by recommending the novel A Coffin for Dimitrios. When Negulesco submitted the proposal, his new agent, Frank Orsatti, known for his extravagant behavior - described by Negulesco as "the Las Vegas Mafia approach" - flashed $10,000 in bills in front of Warner, challenging him to a bet that Negulesco would win an Oscar if he directed the picture. Although he didn't take up the bet, Warner was impressed enough by Orsatti's high-pressure tactics to give Negulesco the assignment. Working titles for the film were A Coffin for Dimitrios and A Mask for Dimitrios. Negulesco fought to cast the unconventional Peter Lorre in the lead, although he was usually relegated to supporting roles; Negulesco regarded Lorre as the best actor working in Hollywood. The Lorre-Greenstreet pairing, which proved so effective in The Maltese Falcon (1941) and Casablanca (1942), takes center stage in The Mask of Dimitrios, the fourth of their eight collaborations. Negulesco would use them again in The Conspirators (1944) and Three Strangers (1946).
The character of Dimitrios was inspired by the real-life figure of Sir Basil Zaharoff (1849-1936). Born in Turkey under the name of Basileios Zakharias and popularly known as "Mystery Man of Europe," Zaharoff was an international arms dealer, financier, intelligence agent and British knight. He was notorious for using doubles to cover for him and for refusing to allow himself to be photographed. Novelist Eric Ambler, whose book was the basis for this film, also wrote Uncommon Danger , which was adapted into the 1943 thriller Background to Danger. His numerous screenplays include The Cruel Sea (1953) - which received an Academy Award® nomination - and A Night to Remember (1958). Shortly after the film was finished Faye Emerson, who plays Irana, made the headlines by marrying Elliott Roosevelt, son of the President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 1966 a remake was planned (but not filmed), with Rock Hudson in the starring role.
The film's working titles were A Coffin for Dimitrios and A Mask for Dimitrios. Composer Jerome Moross' name was misspelled as "Morross" in the onscreen credits. The film begins with the following written foreword: "For money, some men will allow the innocent to hang. They will turn traitor...they will lie, cheat, steal...they will kill. They will appear brilliant, charming, generous. But they are deadly. SUCH A MAN WAS DIMITRIOS." This film marked Zachary Scott's motion picture debut. Hollywood Reporter news items add the following information about the production: Former silent film star Pola Negri was considered for a part and Faye Emerson replaced Nancy Coleman in the role of "Irana." In 1966, Seven Arts planned to remake the film as a vehicle for Rock Hudson, but that film was never produced.
This excellent slice of Film-Noir sees classic actor Peter Lorre in a role that is less sinister than what we're used to seeing from him, but nevertheless; the refined performer manages a portrayal that really is a major asset for this film. The plot takes in elements of mystery and suspense and features themes of intrigue and greed at its centre.
The film follows a writer who learns of a devilishly intelligent criminal by the name of Dimitrios Makropoulos, whose corpse is washed up on the shore of Istanbul. Knowing that this will give him a good base for a story, the writer follows his story across Europe and learns more and more about the illusive criminal. Much of the film's plot takes place in flashbacks, and in this respect, Jean Negulesco's film is very clever as we get to see the central figure's actions at the same time as learning about the kind of man he is; and like the writer at the heart of the tale, it's easy to become intrigued with the character of Dimitrios by watching the flashbacks.
The cast really is a strong element of this film, and starring alongside Peter Lorre is his co-star in The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca and The Verdict (to name a few), Sydney Greenstreet. These two actors work well together, and this is shown by the way that their dialogue flows. They're a bit of an odd couple, with Lorre being a very short European and Greenstreet being an enormous Englishman, but really that just adds to the appeal. An excellent supporting performance from a very dapper Zachary Scott rounds off the film in the acting department. The Mask of Dimitrios benefits from its dark picture, which in turn lends the film a grim and foreboding atmosphere. The locations are good, as the film takes place across Europe, with scenes taking place in Paris, Istanbul and Athens to name a few places. The plot moves very well as it straddles between what is happening in the present and what went on in the past, and Frank Gruber's screenplay does a great job of ensuring that the characters are well
The_Mask_of_Dimitrios_-_1944_-_WAC_DVDRip_[Guild55]_[KG].avi
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