CONNECTION TO PREVIOUS ENTRY: Zachary Scott
SOURCE: Personal Collection, Warner Archive DVD
STARRING: Sydney Greenstreet, Zachary Scott, Peter Lorre
CO-STARS: Faye Emerson, Steven Geray, Victor Francen
DIRECTOR: Jean Negulesco
COMPOSER: Adolph Deutsch
STUDIO: Warner Brothers
SUMMARY: While vacationing in Istanbul, Dutch mystery author, Cornelius Leyden (Lorre), is approached by a fan of his and Turkish police officer. Thinking that Leyden would find the news interesting, the police officer tells him that the body of international criminal, Dimitrios (Scott in his film debut), just washed up on shore. The police officer even invites Leyden to see the body. Fascinated, Leyden sets off on a multi-country research expedition to speak with Dimitrios’ old contacts and learn more about the man and his exploits. One of the people he speaks with is Irana (Emerson), Dimitrios’ former lover. Now working as a madam at a brothel, Irana explains that she and Dimitrios were in love and living the high life before he became a paid assassin. Needing to run from the police, Dimitrios borrows a large sum of money from Irana, never to return. While enroute to Sofia, Bulgaria, Leyden meets “Mr. Peters” (Greenstreet), a man who has a vendetta against Dimitrios. Peters is not convinced of Dimitrios’ death in Istanbul and believes that the man is alive and well in Paris. He plans to find Dimitrios and extort a large sum of money from him. Peters offers to cut Leyden in on some of his blackmail profits. Steven Geray plays another one of Dimitrios’ victims. His vignette is heartbreaking.
FAVORITE PART(S):
1) The rapport between Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet. The two men are very funny together and a great onscreen team.
2) Faye Emerson’s performance. Though she’s only onscreen for a small part of the movie, she gives a compelling performance. This is a woman who before meeting Dimitrios, was clean-cut and wide-eyed. With Dimitrios, she was living the high life, with the glamour and money she wanted. However, after being left financially ruined and emotionally damaged by the man, she has transformed into a hardened, cynical, world weary woman. She works as the madam at a brothel–an occupation she probably had to take out of necessity.
3) Zachary Scott’s performance. This was his film debut and he was excellent as the charming, but sleazy and despicable Dimitrios. Like the title suggests, Dimitrios wore a figurative mask, a mask that presented a reputable, handsome facade. However, as soon as he had the chance to get/do something that would help him, he had no qualms about dropping the mask and revealing his true nature. Dimitrios would lie, cheat, steal, and even murder anyone if he can get ahead.
BEST QUOTE(S):
PETERS: Mr. Leyden, can I use your paper?
LEYDEN: Why not? You’ve used everything else!
DIMITRIOS: [Peters] was always too ingenious; and ingenuity is never a substitute for intelligence.
IRANA: I’ve known many men, but I’ve only been afraid of one of them–Dimitrios.