Dedee d' Anvers – 1948 This French film noir is set in the Belgium port of Antwerp just after WW2.
Simone Signoret is a "working girl" who lives and works out of the Big Moon bar and brothel. The Big Moon Club is just off the docks in the red light district of the city. The club is run by Bernard Blier, a tough nut who has a soft spot for Signoret. He would like her to dump her rat of a pimp, Marcel Dalio. Dalio is a nasty piece of work, not above using lit cigarettes on Signoret if her cash flow seems light.
Marcel Pagliero now shows on the scene. Pagliero is an old friend of Big Moon owner Blier. The two had been involved in a smuggling racket before the war. Pagliero is now the Captain of a small freighter running guns and various other cargoes of "coal" to ports in North Africa and the Middle East.
Of course Signoret and Pagliero meet and both feel an attraction to the other. The two spend the night together and the sparks fly. Blue Moon owner Blier sees this, and tells his friend to take Miss Signoret with him when he leaves port. Even though she is a real money maker for the bar, pulling in drunks etc, Blier would like the woman to have a better life. Pagliero likes the idea and asks the woman to join him.
Signoret is somewhat reluctant to make the move as she is frightened of pimp Dalio's violent temper. Club owner Blier, tells the woman to do the smart thing and take Pagliero up on his offer. Blier, no slouch in the violence department himself, tells Signoret he will deal with Dalio.
Signoret is now beaming with new found hope and emotion. She can't wait for the next morning when they will set sail. Pagliero just needs to load up the last of the illegal cargo that night, and they can leave at 3 in the morning.
Needless to say there is a large oily fly in the ointment. The fly is Dalio, who is less than amused that Bleir has tossed him out of the Big Moon, and told him that Signoret is no longer his. Dalio is between a rock and a hard place. He has been trying to arrange a deal for some black market drugs. He has paid money in advance, and now, without Signoret's income, he will lose the lot.
Dalio hits several bars and polishes off a large bottle of gin trying to drown his sorrows. The now sodden thug decides to get even. He takes his piece and wanders down to the docks. Pagliero has just finished loading his ship and is standing alone on the dark dock having a smoke. Dalio wanders out of the shadows and fires 5 times. Pagliero drops to the pavement dead. Dalio, drops his automatic to the ground, turns and heads back into the night.
At the same time, back at the Big Moon, Signoret has finished packing her few belongings. Most of her stuff she gives to the other girls of the club. Blier closes for the night and arranges to drive Miss Signoret down to see her true love.
Needless to say, they drive up to the ship and find Pagliero's lifeless body sprawled on the rain soaked pavement. Signoret is silent as she looks at Pagliero. That is till she sees Dalio's gun laying there beside the corpse. She picks it up and shows it to Blier. Into the car they climb and drive off. They start hitting all the still open dives around the waterfront.
Someone tells them Dalio had gone to the train station to grab the morning train to Amsterdam. Blier hits the station and hustles out the still drunk Dalio. They toss him in the car and drive down to the docks. The slime begs for his life and cries for mercy. A pistol butt to the head soon quiets him. Signoret then tosses the piece in the water.
Blier and Signoret drag the out cold Dalio onto the road, climb into the car, then, both steer as they drive over Dalio's head. They continue down the road into the fog and back to the Big Moon.
This film just drips with atmosphere, it features fog filled docks, seedy bars, dark lanes with only the odd street lamp here and there for illumination. The performances are all top rate with Signoret and Dalio in particular shining.
This is the third time I have caught this one, and it gets better every time. (It helped that this time I had a much better viewing copy) The director is Yves Allegret. His work includes, Une si Jolie petite Plage, Maneges, Les Orgueilleux and L'Ambitieuse.
Simone Signoret is a "working girl" who lives and works out of the Big Moon bar and brothel. The Big Moon Club is just off the docks in the red light district of the city. The club is run by Bernard Blier, a tough nut who has a soft spot for Signoret. He would like her to dump her rat of a pimp, Marcel Dalio. Dalio is a nasty piece of work, not above using lit cigarettes on Signoret if her cash flow seems light.
Marcel Pagliero now shows on the scene. Pagliero is an old friend of Big Moon owner Blier. The two had been involved in a smuggling racket before the war. Pagliero is now the Captain of a small freighter running guns and various other cargoes of "coal" to ports in North Africa and the Middle East.
Of course Signoret and Pagliero meet and both feel an attraction to the other. The two spend the night together and the sparks fly. Blue Moon owner Blier sees this, and tells his friend to take Miss Signoret with him when he leaves port. Even though she is a real money maker for the bar, pulling in drunks etc, Blier would like the woman to have a better life. Pagliero likes the idea and asks the woman to join him.
Signoret is somewhat reluctant to make the move as she is frightened of pimp Dalio's violent temper. Club owner Blier, tells the woman to do the smart thing and take Pagliero up on his offer. Blier, no slouch in the violence department himself, tells Signoret he will deal with Dalio.
Signoret is now beaming with new found hope and emotion. She can't wait for the next morning when they will set sail. Pagliero just needs to load up the last of the illegal cargo that night, and they can leave at 3 in the morning.
Needless to say there is a large oily fly in the ointment. The fly is Dalio, who is less than amused that Bleir has tossed him out of the Big Moon, and told him that Signoret is no longer his. Dalio is between a rock and a hard place. He has been trying to arrange a deal for some black market drugs. He has paid money in advance, and now, without Signoret's income, he will lose the lot.
Dalio hits several bars and polishes off a large bottle of gin trying to drown his sorrows. The now sodden thug decides to get even. He takes his piece and wanders down to the docks. Pagliero has just finished loading his ship and is standing alone on the dark dock having a smoke. Dalio wanders out of the shadows and fires 5 times. Pagliero drops to the pavement dead. Dalio, drops his automatic to the ground, turns and heads back into the night.
At the same time, back at the Big Moon, Signoret has finished packing her few belongings. Most of her stuff she gives to the other girls of the club. Blier closes for the night and arranges to drive Miss Signoret down to see her true love.
Needless to say, they drive up to the ship and find Pagliero's lifeless body sprawled on the rain soaked pavement. Signoret is silent as she looks at Pagliero. That is till she sees Dalio's gun laying there beside the corpse. She picks it up and shows it to Blier. Into the car they climb and drive off. They start hitting all the still open dives around the waterfront.
Someone tells them Dalio had gone to the train station to grab the morning train to Amsterdam. Blier hits the station and hustles out the still drunk Dalio. They toss him in the car and drive down to the docks. The slime begs for his life and cries for mercy. A pistol butt to the head soon quiets him. Signoret then tosses the piece in the water.
Blier and Signoret drag the out cold Dalio onto the road, climb into the car, then, both steer as they drive over Dalio's head. They continue down the road into the fog and back to the Big Moon.
This film just drips with atmosphere, it features fog filled docks, seedy bars, dark lanes with only the odd street lamp here and there for illumination. The performances are all top rate with Signoret and Dalio in particular shining.
This is the third time I have caught this one, and it gets better every time. (It helped that this time I had a much better viewing copy) The director is Yves Allegret. His work includes, Une si Jolie petite Plage, Maneges, Les Orgueilleux and L'Ambitieuse.