Slow, atmospheric French crime drama, with a curious history: its U.S. release was blocked until three years after the Hollywood remake, Algiers. That, no doubt, had the effect of stunting its reputation over here, although Pauline Kael, with customary authority, nonetheless declared it "the greatest French romantic-gangster movie until Breathless." (Hard to argue with her if you hadn't considered Pépé great or Breathless romantic.) The real star of the show is not Jean Gabin (nor, in the remake, Charles Boyer, more than a match for Gabin), but rather the "labyrinth" of the Casbah: the thronging maze in which the well-groomed rat loses himself. Directed by Julien Duvivier. (1937) — Duncan Shepherd
This movie is not currently in theaters.