The Murderer Lives at Number 21

The Murderer Lives at Number 21

Year: 1942

Runtime: 83 mins

Language: French

Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot

ThrillerMysteryComedy

Paris, France. Commissaire Wens follows the lead of a ruthless murderer to an unexpected place.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (1942)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (1942). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Paris, Boarding house at 21 Avenue Junot

Set in Paris, much of the action unfolds around a boarding house at 21 Avenue Junot. The cramped building with quirky tenants becomes a microcosm of the city’s darker side, a place where secrets are whispered and alibis crumble. The setting emphasizes the contrast between the surface charm of the characters and the danger beneath.

🗼 Paris 🏠 Boarding house 🕵️ Crime mystery

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:48

Main Characters – The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (1942)

Meet the key characters of The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (1942), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Commissaire Wens (Pierre Fresnay)

Inspector Wenceslas Vorobeychik, known as Wens, is a precise and patient detective who uses disguise and cunning to navigate a roomful of quirky suspects. He relies on logical deduction and cool composure to separate truth from bluff. His commitment to solving the case drives the story and leads to a tense rescue at the end.

🔎 Inspector 🧠 Clever 🎯 Determined

Mila Malou (Suzy Delair)

Mila Malou is a ditzy singer chasing publicity who nonetheless contributes to the investigation through bold actions and timely hints. She mixes flirtation and manipulation, creating misdirection that complicates Wens's pursuit. Her charm masks a pragmatic, self-interested streak that keeps the case lively.

🎤 Singer 💫 Entertainer 👀 Observant

Monsieur Colin (Pierre Larquey)

Colin runs a small business making and selling Durand dolls with blank faces, embodying the boarding house’s oddball atmosphere. He can be clever and evasive, and his role in the murders becomes a key piece of the puzzle. His dolls symbolize the theme of facades masking intent.

🧸 Dollmaker 🕯️ Eccentric 🧭 Suspicious

Dr. Linz (Noël Roquevert)

Dr. Linz is a former abortionist turned doctor, part of the quirky cohort at the boarding house. He remains calm under pressure and is capable of unsettling methods. His involvement helps connect the different murders to a single mastermind’s larger scheme.

🧪 Doctor 🩹 Mysterious 🧭 Cunning

Kid Robert (Jean Despeaux)

Kid Robert is a blind former boxer living among the tenants. He embodies vulnerability yet carries a surprising edge that can be crucial to the case. His past as a fighter and his current status as a tenant make him a compelling suspect amid shifting alibis.

🥊 Former boxer 🕶️ Vulnerable 🧩 Mysterious

Professor Lalah-Poor

Professor Lalah-Poor is a self-styled fakir and stage magician who steals items and improvises tricks. His hijinks contribute to the boarding house's eccentric atmosphere and to the sense of misdirection in the investigation. He, like the others, becomes entwined in the killer's web via opportunistic behavior.

🪄 Magician 🌀 Eccentric 🌀 Manipulative

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:48

Major Themes – The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (1942)

Explore the central themes of The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (1942), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕵️ Mystery

Inspector Wens tackles a serial killer case in Paris, peeling back clues from a crowded boarding house. The killer signs the crime with the Durand card, turning ordinary conversations into a tangled puzzle. The film relies on clever deduction, suspense, and the tension between certainty and misdirection.

🎭 Deception

Every tenant presents a façade of innocence while concealing secrets, and the suspects’ alibis are crafted to mislead. The boarding house party becomes a stage for misdirection, blurring lines between performance and crime. Wens must read between the lines as misdirection escalates.

🧩 Puzzle

The case unfolds like a puzzle where multiple killers commit different murders, sharing a pattern and complicating alibis. The suspects argue over who deserves credit for the method, turning the solution into a social puzzle. Mila’s hints, the room’s dynamics, and Wens’s patience converge to reveal the truth.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:48

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The Murderer Lives at Number 21 Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Murderer Lives at Number 21, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Murderer Lives at Number 21 Summary

The Murderer Lives at Number 21 Timeline

Track the full timeline of The Murderer Lives at Number 21 with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Murderer Lives at Number 21 Timeline

More About The Murderer Lives at Number 21

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More About The Murderer Lives at Number 21

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