It was a really fun movie to watch. And even more of a hey, kids, let's put on a show than I'd thought—according to this interview with Stanley Cortez and this article from UCLA, the musical chairs of the direction extended through Meredith, Laughton, and Tone into occasionally Cortez himself, while the funding was entirely Tone, which was an issue only insofar as it made him the person responsible for securing the adaptation rights from Simenon and therefore the person who didn't realize the author was not bluffing when he insisted on retaining the right to destroy the film if he didn't like it. I had figured the incredible scarcity of surviving prints was just normal B-movie wear and tear. Apparently it was Simenon. This movie really was, and I say it with great affection, amateur hour.
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It was a really fun movie to watch. And even more of a hey, kids, let's put on a show than I'd thought—according to this interview with Stanley Cortez and this article from UCLA, the musical chairs of the direction extended through Meredith, Laughton, and Tone into occasionally Cortez himself, while the funding was entirely Tone, which was an issue only insofar as it made him the person responsible for securing the adaptation rights from Simenon and therefore the person who didn't realize the author was not bluffing when he insisted on retaining the right to destroy the film if he didn't like it. I had figured the incredible scarcity of surviving prints was just normal B-movie wear and tear. Apparently it was Simenon. This movie really was, and I say it with great affection, amateur hour.