Tense and intriguing, The Man on the Eiffel Tower (1949) is a thriller that doesn't keep the viewer guessing, but rather leaves one wondering about that which is already known to be factual. Directed by Burgess Meredith (who also plays a supporting role), the film is based on Georges Simenon's 1931 novel "La Tete d-un homme." The whole cast is great, including Charles Laughton, Franchot Tone and Robert Hutton.
A spoiled man (Robert Hutton) has a tough dilemma. His wife has found out about the woman for which he plans to leave her. She agrees to leave the new couple to their devices, but only if she is paid handsomely. The man knows he is in the will of his wealthy aunt, so he hires a psychotic killer named Johann Radek (Franchot Tone) to kill her so that he might collect the inheritance...
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| The Man on the Eiffel Tower. 1949 |
Unfortunately, a desperate and legally blind burglar (Burgess Meredith) stumbles upon the murder just as it is taking place. His involvement is instrumental to the unfolding of the future events...
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| The Man on the Eiffel Tower. 1949 |
Meanwhile, Paris' best detective, Jules Maigret (Charles Laughton), has been assigned to the case...
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| The Man on the Eiffel Tower. 1949 |
Maigret gets more than he bargained for when Radek turns out to be an arrogant sociopath and basically admits to the crime, then taunts and challenges the detective to come up with a way to prove it...
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| The Man on the Eiffel Tower. 1949 |
He leads the police on a series of chases that include the rooftops of Paris...
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| The Man on the Eiffel Tower. 1949 |
as well as the Eiffel Tower itself, as the title suggests...
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| The Man on the Eiffel Tower. 1949 |
Can Maigret find the proof he needs to send this psychopath to the guillotine?
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| The Man on the Eiffel Tower. 1949 |
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| The Man on the Eiffel Tower. 1949 |
