A Man Condemned
- Episode aired Oct 29, 1963
- 50m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
35
YOUR RATING
A man convicted of murdering his wife is to be executed in 12 hours but Maigret thinks the man is innocent.A man convicted of murdering his wife is to be executed in 12 hours but Maigret thinks the man is innocent.A man convicted of murdering his wife is to be executed in 12 hours but Maigret thinks the man is innocent.
Photos
R. Ambriehl
- Extra in Film Sequences
- (uncredited)
M. Ara
- Extra in Film Sequences
- (uncredited)
M. Aranda
- Extra in Film Sequences
- (uncredited)
Yvan Baynal
- Extra in Film Sequences
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Featured review
Maigret ponders a possible miscarriage of justice!
The book version and the TV versions have some obvious differences. While both the book and TV version ponder about a possible miscarriage of justice which it seems is too late to fix, in the book, the convicted man, Adrien Josset, has already been executed whereas in the TV version Maigret races against time to try and prevent the execution of a man Maigret suspects is innocent and who had seemingly got himself easily condemned by just talking too much. The TV version, unfortunately, seems to show the probable killer, a real psychopath, just before the murder takes place, which apparently spoils the mystery as to the whodunit! Nevertheless, the TV plot centers around whether Maigret will discover the truth in time, and, though strongly hinted at, the answer is not definitively given.
The story was published in 1959 and was part of the Presses de la Cité books and at this later stage in writing, Simenon, the book author, uses the technique of 'flashbacks' told by Maigret to his good friend Doctor Pardon while the two men and their wives share one of their monthly dinners together at Maigret's home on this occasion in the TV version, though, in the book it takes place at the Pardon's where Maigret is particularly fond of Mme Pardon's rice pudding which reminds him of his childhood. Dr Pardon is one of the very rare persons whom Maigret ever confides with some of his own thoughts about his own cases. In the book version, Simenon writes more about his own philosophical cogitations on the subject of justice and guilt and whether or not justice can ever truly exist. The story being told switches back and forth between the present and the past as well as different points of view, Maigret's, Josset's, and the narrator, creating multiple and conflicting reflections of the same events.
From my point of view, I have a soft spot for these old black and white TV Maigret detective stories even though the characters portrayed are mostly only two dimensional and lacking the depth and complexity one finds in more modern series. I like them because they hearken back to a simpler time before the Internet and computers had changed the world. The Rupert Davis series is no exception and lacks the complexity as well as the depth of philosophical thought that the author Simenon infuses into his books, but that is to be expected with the different mediums that one works with. Nevertheless, if you want to disconnect for three quarters of an hour and take a trip back in time to this wonderful age, I highly recommend this series.
The story was published in 1959 and was part of the Presses de la Cité books and at this later stage in writing, Simenon, the book author, uses the technique of 'flashbacks' told by Maigret to his good friend Doctor Pardon while the two men and their wives share one of their monthly dinners together at Maigret's home on this occasion in the TV version, though, in the book it takes place at the Pardon's where Maigret is particularly fond of Mme Pardon's rice pudding which reminds him of his childhood. Dr Pardon is one of the very rare persons whom Maigret ever confides with some of his own thoughts about his own cases. In the book version, Simenon writes more about his own philosophical cogitations on the subject of justice and guilt and whether or not justice can ever truly exist. The story being told switches back and forth between the present and the past as well as different points of view, Maigret's, Josset's, and the narrator, creating multiple and conflicting reflections of the same events.
From my point of view, I have a soft spot for these old black and white TV Maigret detective stories even though the characters portrayed are mostly only two dimensional and lacking the depth and complexity one finds in more modern series. I like them because they hearken back to a simpler time before the Internet and computers had changed the world. The Rupert Davis series is no exception and lacks the complexity as well as the depth of philosophical thought that the author Simenon infuses into his books, but that is to be expected with the different mediums that one works with. Nevertheless, if you want to disconnect for three quarters of an hour and take a trip back in time to this wonderful age, I highly recommend this series.
helpful•00
- michael_wells_gr
- Feb 16, 2024
Details
- Runtime50 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content