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Synopsis
An overheard complaint about an inheritance becomes the opening for a murder scheme in Paris. When evidence points toward the wrong man, Inspector Maigret follows a more elusive adversary through the city. The investigation is also a battle of nerve, moving from crowded streets toward the exposed heights of the Eiffel Tower.
Cast
DirectorsBurgess Meredith
Inspirations
Georges Simenon's A Man's Head introduced the case behind this English-language appearance of Inspector Maigret. Charles Laughton plays the investigator, while the Paris locations give the adaptation a concrete urban geography.
Behind the scenes
Burgess Meredith took over directing after the production had begun, and Laughton handled some scenes in which Meredith appeared. The film was shot entirely in Paris, making its streets, river and tower more than studio suggestions of a foreign city.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Charles Laughton — Clarence Sinclair Bull · Public domain
- Franchot Tone — Russell Ball · Public domain
- Burgess Meredith — BBDO (Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborne) for General Electric, the show's sponsor. · Public domain
- Robert Hutton — Film screenshot (Planet Filmplays Inc.) · Public domain
