fiction.wikisort.org - Movie

Portrait of an Assassin is a 1949 French film starring Maria Montez.[2]

Portrait of an Assassin
Directed by	Bernard-Roland
Written by	Henri Decoin Marcel Rivet dialogue François Chalais Charles Spaak
Produced by	Jacques Gauthier
Starring	Maria Montez Arletty Erich von Stroheim
Release date	1949 (1949)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	France
Language	French
Box office	1,860,774 admissions (France)[1]

Plot

Christina (Montez) is the sadistic manager of a circus show, who uses her attractiveness to seduce men and force them to do dangerous acrobatic acts. One such lover, Eric (Von Stroheim), became handicapped.

Christina seduces Fabius (Brasseur) but his wife Martha (Arletty), turns up and performs the acrobatic act and dies. Fabius then murders Christina in revenge, does the act himself, survives and confesses.

Production

The movie was financed by a French furrier.[3] It was originally announced that the film would be called Portrait of a Murderer and would star Maria Montez and Orson Welles. "Could be the battlingest picture of the century", wrote Hedda Hopper.[4]

Orson Welles and Charles Lederer were meant to do some work on the film. The producer Jacques Gauthier sued them for $1 million each for non performance.[5][6]

Reportedly Montez and Arletty feuded during filming causing retakes to be required.

References

External links

• Portrait of an Assassin at IMDb
• Review of film at Variety

---