Cinema
Who Killed Santa Claus?
L'Assassinat du père Noël
Christian-Jaque · 1941
Synopsis
On Christmas Eve, in a small Savoie village buried under snow, old Cornusse, a maker of terrestrial globes, prepares as every year to play Father Christmas. He lives with his daughter Catherine, while a mysterious baron has just returned to the area. During the night a valuable jewel disappears, and a man dressed as Father Christmas is found dead: everyone, from the baron to the villagers, becomes a suspect.
Context
The film adapts a detective novel by Pierre Véry published in 1934. It is the first feature film produced by Continental, a German-funded firm created in Paris under the Occupation to take over French production. The cinematography is by Armand Thirard. Harry Baur plays Cornusse, Renée Faure his daughter and Raymond Rouleau the baron, alongside Robert Le Vigan. It was released on 16 October 1941.
Who it is for
One hour forty-five minutes, in black and white; at once a detective mystery and a Christmas tale, under the snow.
Prizes and reception
The Continental's first film, it is known in English under the title Who Killed Santa Claus?