Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2021 July 12

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July 12

Where murderers are never found

The other day I was thinking of a scene from a movie. As I remember, this scene takes place on a train somewhere in Europe and someone has been murdered, and there is a French detective on board investigating. He talks to a young couple, I think, and they talk about a third person (I'll say Joe). One of the couple says something like "Oh, can't have been Joe; he's a friend of ours" — whereas the detective makes a gently sneering references to "your theory that murderers are never found amongst one's friends". (Or something close to that.)

That last line is what I'd like to put in context by identifying the movie. Does anyone happen to recognize it? My recollection is that it was primarily mystery/suspense, that it was in color, that it had a 1960-ish style, and that the conversation may have taken place in a baggage car (if so, presumably the scene of the crime); but all of these details could be quite wrong.

Does this ring a bell for anyone? Just wondering. --174.94.31.124 (talk) 04:31, 12 July 2021 (UTC)

Murders on trains in Europe are quite a popular theme in crime fiction. I don't remember any with a French detective, but Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, created by British crime novelist Agatha Christie, is in universe often confused for French and solved murders on three trains: the Plymouth Express, the Blue Train and the Orient Express. All of them have at least a tv adaptation; Murder on the Orient Express has several tv and film adaptations, the most famous made in 1974. I don't remember the exact line you mention, but it sounds fitting for this detective. PiusImpavidus (talk) 08:50, 12 July 2021 (UTC)

Yes, but if it had been that, I would've known it. I actually thought it was another movie but found out I was wrong when I watched it again. --174.94.31.124 (talk) 19:18, 12 July 2021 (UTC)

Maigret investigated "Un meurtre de première classe" in 1999, but that was a tv series, and in French. DuncanHill (talk) 09:52, 12 July 2021 (UTC)

There is also a Maigret series in English (starring Michael Gambon), made in Hungary iirc; can't say if there was a rail episode. —Tamfang (talk) 00:43, 15 July 2021 (UTC)

I found it in Sleeping Car to Trieste (1948). In a dialogue between Inspector Jolif (played by Paul Dupuis) and Tom Bishop (played by David Tomlinson).

Jolif: "Mr. Bishop, have you got anything else to tell me?"

Bishop: "No, no. I just came along here to clear old George. And I'll now ... I'll just nip off and finish my breakfast."

Jolif: "Please do.I shall bear your theory in mind."

Bishop: "What theory, Monsieur Jolif?"

Jolif: "The theory that murderers are very seldom found among one's friends."

Here's a There was a link to the entire dialogue (with Greek subtitles). ---Sluzzelin talk 10:28, 12 July 2021 (UTC)

@Sluzzelin: I thought of Sleeping Car to Trieste but had dismissed it for not being in colour! DuncanHill (talk) 10:56, 12 July 2021 (UTC)

... whereas I didn't even know that film existed (but enjoyed watching young-ish Tomlinson)! Googling "murderers" + "found among one's friends" led me to some translation site where snippets of the dialogue are translated to Greek. Then I searched for the name "Jolif" etc. ---Sluzzelin talk 11:20, 12 July 2021 (UTC)

Thanks, folks, you have found it, yes! --174.94.31.124 (talk) 06:28, 13 July 2021 (UTC)

Note: I now removed the YT link. I just wanted the OP to see it. ---Sluzzelin talk 19:42, 12 July 2021 (UTC)

I don't do Internet video. But thanks. --174.94.31.124 (talk) 06:28, 13 July 2021 (UTC)

Resolved