With trademark hat and pipe, Albert Préjean (Princess Tam Tam) stars as the venerable Inspector Maigret in two first-rate Georges Simenon adaptations from the 1940s. PICPUS (1943): Whilst moving into her new Paris apartment, Madame Dumont discovers a dead body in her wardrobe. Soon more corpses pile up near the metro station Picpus and the eponymous street: a clairvoyant, a blind man, a doctor, a real estate agent. These people have certainly got something in common, but what can it be? Maigret is summoned to investigate in this thrilling whodunit from director Richard Pottier (Fanfare d’Amour). In CÉCILE IS DEAD! (1944) Santa Relli (Jour de Fête) plays a young woman named Cécile, who keeps coming to Quai des Orfèvres to see Inspector Maigret about disturbing events in her household. The esteemed detective and his colleagues are annoyed…until Cécile winds up dead. Maigret must crack the mystery in this stylish film noir from director Maurice Tourneur (Lorna Doone).

For thoughts on Picpus and Cécile Is Dead! – Inspector Maigret Double Feature, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Picpus and Cécile Is Dead! come to Blu-Ray sharing a single disc with a new AVC encoded transfer. These films share nearly identical qualities, so I will mostly be judging them as a group while pointing out noticeable differences when necessary. Neither film is advertised as being from a new remaster or restoration, but they both look very good considering their vintage. Each film retains a small amount of underlying print damage and other source anomalies, but nothing ever stands in the way of a good experience

The lovely black-and-white photography holds up favorably across these films with natural grain intact. There is some great detail present with distinct textures in the environments and within the clothing and production design. Contrast is stable with only a minor level of density fluctuation in the print. Black levels are up to par even if they could be a bit deeper. There are no substantial occurrences of black crush or compression artifacts present in either film.

The grain field can run a bit inconsistent, but it does remain intact and is thankfully not managed or scrubbed of its texture. Even in less ideal environments, it never appears overly clumpy or unnatural. Print damage has been cleaned up substantially at some point even if it is not perfect. Underlying faint lines and small specks often accompany softer shots. There are certain limitations, but Kino Classics should be pleased with what they accomplished here.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray set comes with a solid DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track for each of these films in their original French with optional English subtitles. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without sounding burdened or overwhelmed. It is balanced admirably with the environmental elements so information stays highlighted in the mix. There is thankfully not much at all in the way of hissing, humming or crackles. The scores that accompany these two films refrain from overpowering the dialogue and other important information. There is not much in the way of overt damage to the audio. Kino Classics has translated these audio experiences with care.

Special Features

Trailers: There are trailers provided for Maigret Sets A Trap (1958) and Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959).

Final Thoughts

Picpus and Cécile Is Dead are two engaging mysteries that showcase the character of Inspector Maigret with an enviable depth. Even those who have been raised on mysterious procedurals may find some of the twists and turns a tad bit surprising. These are simply two well-crafted cases that command your attention. Kino Classics has released a Blu-Ray featuring strong A/V presentations and barely anything in the realm of special features. If you are a traditional fan of the character or simply want to locate worthy mysteries, look no further. Recommended

Picpus and Cécile Is Dead! – Inspector Maigret Double Feature is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.