CinemaSerf
6.0/10Dec 03, 2023
"Vidocq" - well that's the name he ultimately elects to stick with - has something of the "Oliver Twist" to the story of his birth. His mother was a petty thief, constantly in and out of jail, so he decides to follow in the family tradition where he (now George Sanders) meets "Emile" (Akim Tamiroff) and the two set about making themselves their fortunes! Their lively adventures eventually take them to the home of the influential Marquis de Pierremont where using a fair degree of guile - and having secured the amorous attentions of his grand-daughter - he finds himself chief of police and ideally situated to relieve the Bank of Paris of 50 million Francs. Thing is, the man he dispossessed of the job (Gene Lockhart) is convinced that something is amiss and is determined to expose the charlatans. Meantime, the erstwhile inscrutable "Vidocq" might actually be falling in love and considering a decent life on the right side of the law! I quite like the mischievous premiss here, and the first ten minutes - with a witty accompanying narrative - are quite entertaining. Thereafter, though, it all rather falls into a predictable melodramatic romp through Parisian society and the kleptomaniac tendencies of our hero start to become subsumed into a sea of romantic slush - despite the more venal aspirations of "Loretta" (Carole Landis). The production is really stage bound - especially noticeable with some of the supposedly outdoor scenes - and there's just too much chat and not enough interesting going on. I was quite disappointed with this plodding fancy dress drama, sorry.
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