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There’s Always a Price Tag (1957) movie poster

Timeline

There’s Always a Price Tag (1957) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1957 · 118 mins · French
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Directed by
Denys de La Patellière
Starring
Peter van Eyck, Bernard Blier, Michèle Morgan, Daniel Gélin, Michèle Mercier, Hélène Roussel

The Most Diabolical Act a Man and Mistress Ever Conceived! A wealthy businessman’s wife tries to cover up his suicide to cash in his life insurance policy.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (12)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like There’s Always a Price Tag
  6. 6 Every angle
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12 events in order · contains spoilers

There’s Always a Price Tag Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of There’s Always a Price Tag (1957) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Rescue and Hiring

    Glyn Nash rescues Erle Dester from being run over in a drunken state on a city street. Dester takes Nash home and hires him as his personal assistant and chauffeur, despite warnings from his wife Helen. Nash agrees to the job, hoping to learn what is really going on.

    Where
    City street and Dester's home
  2. Dester's Confession and Helen's Motives

    Dester reveals that he is a heavy drinker and broke, warning that he may lose everything. Nash observes that Helen is 'up to no good' and senses trouble in the marriage. The director's fragile situation becomes a catalyst for Nash's growing suspicion.

    Where
    Dester's home
  3. Helen's Warnings and Insecurity

    Helen repeatedly warns Nash to leave and even offers him money to quit, but her threats only push him to stay and pry further. Her manipulation hints at a deeper plot surrounding Dester's wealth. Nash begins to realize that she is dangerous.

    Where
    Dester's home
  4. Nash Joins the Plot

    Nash decides to join with Helen to pursue Dester's money, and perhaps the wife herself. He confronts Helen, admits that he knows her schemes, and they secretly agree to eliminate Dester. The two plot the murder in a bid to gain control of the director's fortune.

    Where
    Dester's home
  5. Dester's Suicide Declaration and Shot

    Dester calls them to his room and declares that he will kill himself unless murder can be proven, noting that his lawyer and the insurance agent will detect any fake claims. He then shoots himself, leaving Nash and Helen stunned by the turn of events.

    Where
    Dester's room
  6. The Cover-Up Begins

    Shocked but pragmatic, Nash and Helen decide to cover up the suicide as a murder. They hide the body in the freezer and start spreading the story that Dester is out of town, buying time to plan the alibi. The cover-up marks the beginning of a creeping web of deception.

    Where
    Dester's home
  7. Illness Illusion and Marian's Involvement

    Nash devises a plan to make Dester appear ill and to take him to a sanatorium, followed by a staged ransom kidnapping. They recruit Marian, the housemaid, to act as a witness in the house and bolster their ruse. The plan aims to accelerate the narrative of Dester's disappearance.

    Where
    Dester's home
  8. Kidnapping Gone Wrong

    They drive to a remote area where Nash ties Helen to stage the kidnapping, while telling the police she is missing. Before tying her, Nash beats her to make injuries look real, but the beating unintentionally results in her death.

    Where
    Remote area
  9. The Will is Found

    Nash discovers Dester's will, which leaves everything to him, including the insurance money. This revelation threatens the legality and credibility of their alleged murder scheme.

    Where
    Dester's home
  10. Investigation Tightens and Retcon Plan

    In the ensuing investigation, police chief, Maddux, and Detective Harmas close in on the case. Nash tries to twist the story by claiming Dester murdered his wife and then killed himself, while he hides the will to maintain the hoax.

    Where
    City and police headquarters
  11. Marian's Departure and Unraveling Lies

    Nash confides in Marian, who leaves the house in shock, signaling that the truth may be slipping away. With Marian gone, Nash doubles down on his deception to salvage his position and escape exposure.

    Where
    Dester's home
  12. Final Forensics and Arrest

    Nash places Dester's preserved body in the study and fabricates a typed suicide note to reinforce the murder-suicide illusion. The police review the scene, realize the web of lies, and Nash is arrested.

    Where
    Dester's home, study

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:27

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Timeline questions answered

There’s Always a Price Tag Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of There’s Always a Price Tag (1957): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Helen Dester want her husband dead?

Helen wants Erle Dester dead so she can cash in his life insurance policy. The movie makes clear she has been actively trying to kill him for some time, and her motive is purely financial, she stands to benefit from his death.

Foreshadowing: Helen's repeated warnings and money offers to Nash to leave the house hint at her desperation to keep outsiders away from her scheme.

  • helen dester
  • motive
  • insurance
  • policy
  • killing
Q2

Why does Glyn Nash join Helen's murder plot instead of warning Erle Dester?

Nash decides to ally with Helen because he sees an opportunity to profit from Dester's fortune himself, and possibly win Helen over in the process. Rather than protect Dester, he chooses to exploit the situation for his own gain.

Foreshadowing: Nash ignores Helen's warnings from the start, indicating his interest lies beyond mere employment.

  • glyn nash
  • helen
  • plot
  • motive
  • greedy
Q3

Why does Erle Dester announce his suicide to Nash and Helen?

Dester reveals he will kill himself unless they can prove murder, because if it's suicide, Helen cannot claim the insurance money. He specifically mentions his lawyer and insurance agent Maddux would detect any faked murder, then shoots himself to deny her the payout.

  • erle dester
  • suicide
  • insurance
  • announcement
  • motive
Q4

Why do Nash and Helen decide to cover up the suicide as murder?

Since Dester died by suicide, Helen cannot collect the life insurance. To claim the money, they must make it look like murder, so they hide the body in the freezer and create a false story that Dester was abducted or missing.

  • cover-up
  • suicide
  • murder
  • insurance
  • frozen
Q5

How does Helen die during the fake kidnapping?

Nash beats Helen to make her injuries look real for the staged kidnapping, but the violence goes too far and she dies from her injuries. This accidentally killing of his partner marks a crucial turning point in the scheme.

  • helen
  • dies
  • kidnapping
  • beating
  • nash
Q6

What does Erle Dester's will reveal that changes everything?

Nash discovers the will leaves everything to Dester himself, including the insurance money. This means if the truth comes out, there is no fortune to claim, and Nash could be implicated in two murders for a payout that doesn't exist.

  • will
  • dester
  • insurance
  • money
  • inheritance
Q7

Why does Nash try to frame Helen for the murder-suicide?

With Helen dead and the will revealing no fortune, Nash attempts to salvage his position by rewriting the story entirely. He hides the will and claims Dester murdered his wife and then killed himself, trying to escape blame while maintaining the illusion of the scheme.

  • nash
  • frame
  • helen
  • murder-suicide
  • cover-up
Q8

Why does Marian leave the house?

After Nash confides in Marian about his revised plan to frame Helen, she chooses to leave rather than become part of his lies. Her departure signals that the truth is beginning to unravel.

  • marian
  • leave
  • house
  • truth
  • shock
Q9

How do the police discover Nash's deception?

Nash stages a scene in the study with Dester's preserved body and a forged typed suicide note, but the police see through the elaborate setup. Combined with the mounting evidence and the unraveling cover story, they arrest him.

  • police
  • arrest
  • nash
  • forged
  • note
Q10

What drives Glyn Nash to commit to such a dangerous scheme?

Nash's ambition and greed drive him to play a dangerous game of his own. Rather than walk away from the suspicious household, he decides to wager on Dester's money, believing he can outmaneuver Helen and claim the fortune for himself.

Foreshadowing: Nash's quick acceptance of the job despite warnings hints at his opportunistic nature.

  • nash
  • ambition
  • greedy
  • money
  • scheme

Movie threads

More Movies Like There’s Always a Price Tag, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes There’s Always a Price Tag tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Greed-driven crime spirals like in There’s Always a Price Tag

Stories where a single greedy decision triggers an inescapable spiral of doom. If you liked the fatalistic spiral of greed and betrayal in There’s Always a Price Tag, explore more movies where a desperate financial scheme leads to moral decay and ruinous consequences. These similar tales of fatal choices and crime conspiracies capture the dark, heavy feeling of a plan crumbling under its own weight.

  • greed-driven
  • fatalistic
  • treacherous
  • suspenseful
  • manipulative
  • morally bleak
  • Tone: dark, cynical, fatalistic
  • Pacing: steady, methodical escalation
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows a flawed protagonist who sees a criminal opportunity as a solution to their problems. As they execute their plan, the web of lies tightens, alliances become treacherous, and the initial goal becomes secondary to the desperate struggle for survival. The story culminates not in success, but in the complete collapse of their world, often through arrest, death, or total isolation.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a dark, cynical tone and a high-stakes intensity. They are united by the theme of moral decay spurred by avarice, a steady pacing that builds inevitable dread, and a bleak ending that offers no redemption, only the cold consequences of hubris and greed.

Claustrophobic conspiracy thrillers like There’s Always a Price Tag

Tense thrillers about intimate partnerships bound by a dangerous secret. Fans of the manipulative, toxic partnership and tense cover-up in There’s Always a Price Tag will find more movies like it here. Discover similar complex thrillers about deadly secrets, femme fatales, and fatal attractions where the real danger comes from within the conspiracy.

  • claustrophobic
  • manipulative
  • suspenseful
  • treacherous
  • fatal attraction
  • conspiracy
  • Tone: tense, manipulative, claustrophobic
  • Pacing: steady, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative revolves around a secret pact, typically a murder or major fraud, that binds the characters together. The plot explores the psychological toll of maintaining the lie, as paranoia grows and loyalties are tested. The central conflict is internal, pitting the conspirators against each other in a battle of wits and survival, often leading to a double-cross that destroys them all.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their claustrophobic mood, high complexity from layered deceptions, and a manipulative, suspenseful tone. They share a steady pacing that methodically tightens the screws on the characters, creating a sense of inescapable doom born from the treacherous nature of their own partnership.

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Every angle

There’s Always a Price Tag (1957) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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