Arsène Lupin détective (1937)
Directed by Henri Diamant-Berger

Film Review

Despite some very dodgy acting and a rambling plot that is as transparent as glass, this is an entertaining and a rare example of 1930s French detective cinema.  Jules Berry is the celebrated master criminal, a role that he clearly relishes in, although it is clearly some distance from the character in the famous Maurice Leblanc stories.

The most disappointing aspect of this film is its total lack of suspense and mystery.  You'd have to be quite dim not to realise who the real villain is in this film, and the identity of Arsène Lupin is pretty obvious from the outset.   This is all the more galling when you recall the opening credits, a sequence that is laced with menace and intrigue, excellently done but in no way reflective of the film that follows.

The best thing about this film is its tireless sense of fun.  It is not really a comedy, but the characters are played with great comic panache (particularly Berry's Lupin), and there is a lot of probably unintentional wit in the script.  But what contributes most to the film's atmosphere is probably its jaunty 1930s music and the chic costumes.

Film Synopsis

Olga Vauban, one of the world's most celebrated actresses, is completely mystified when her home is broken into but nothing appears to have been stolen.  Any self-respecting burglar would have cleaned her out but nothing in Olga's possession - not even her priceless jewellery - has been touched.  She seems to have been the victim of a bizarre practical joke.  Concerned, she wastes no time contacting her former husband, police Inspector Béchoux and asking him to look into the mystery.  Béchoux is equally puzzled and so he turns to Jim Barnett, a private detective.  Unbeknown to the inspector, indeed to the whole world, Barnett is in fact the notorious gentleman thief Arsène Lupin, who has set up his detective agency as a front for his nefarious exploits.  Madame Vauban's phantom burglary is followed by a murder, which Lupin assiduously investigates.  In doing so, one of the individuals implicated in the killing recognises him and hastily reveals his identity to a journalist.  Nothing can prevent Arsène Lupin's arrest, but as the noose tightens around his neck he receives some help from an unexpected quarter...