The Man Who Watched Trains Go By *** (1952, Claude Rains, Märta Torén, Marius Goring, Herbert Lom, Anouk Aimée, Ferdy Mayne, Felix Aylmer) – Classic Movie Review 3772

Writer-director Harold French’s 1952 British suspense thriller has four inestimable advantages.

First, it is based on an excellent novel by Georges Simenon, the creator of Maigret.

Second, it stars Claude Rains, who goes properly over the top as Kees Popinga, a meek and mild Dutch manufacturing company head clerk accountant, who witnesses something shocking at work, exploits the situation and goes to Paris to spend some of the crooked money that results.

Third, it also stars Marius Goring as Inspector Lucas of the Paris Suretè, the policeman who is doggedly tracking Popinga’s trail.

Fourth, it co-stars Herbert Lom as Julius de Koster Jr, Popinga’s boss, the Dutch shipping company’s owner who is obsessed with Parisian woman Michelle (Märta Torén), bankrupts his own company, burns the incriminating ledgers and plans to run off to Paris with the company payroll when he is caught in the act by his accountant.

It’s up to Popinga to try to dodge the law as he plans to meet up with Michelle. But she is only after his money so she can take off with her lover Louis (Ferdy Mayne).

This interesting, if minor version of the Georges Simenon story is rather uncertainly scripted and directed but it remains quite involving, thanks to the intriguing plotting and characters of the Simenon original, as well as the hard work of a very useful cast, all giving earnest, expert performances.

A fifth asset is Otto Heller’s lovely Technicolor cinematography on location in Amsterdam and Paris.

Also in the cast are Marta Toren, Anouk Aimée, Herbert Lom, Ferdy Mayne, Felix Aylmer, Eric Pohlmann, Lucie Mannheim (Goring’s real-life wife), Gibb McLaughlin, Michael Nightingale, Robin Alalouf, Joan St Clair, Michael Alain, Jean Debreaux and Roy Purcell.

It was made by Josef Shaftel Productions and Raymond Stross Productions and released by Eros.

The prolific Belgian-born Georges Simenon (1903-1989) wrote more than 200 novels as well as many shorter works – between 400 and 500. Simenon’s creation, Inspector Jules Maigret, who appeared in about 75 works, ranks only after Sherlock Holmes and Poirot as the world’s best known fictional detective. About 132 movies and TV shows are based on Simenon’s books.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3772

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