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This excellent slice of film noir sees classic actor Peter Lorre in a role that is less sinister than what we're used to seeing from him, but nevertheless; the refined performer manages a portrayal that really is a major asset for this film. The plot takes in elements of mystery and suspense and features themes of intrigue and greed at its centre. The film follows a writer who learns of a devilishly intelligent criminal by the name of Dimitrios Makropoulos, whose corpse is washed up on the shore of Istanbul. Knowing that this will give him a good base for a story, the writer follows his story across Europe and learns more and more about the illusive criminal. Much of the film's plot takes place in flashbacks, and in this respect, Jean Negulesco's film is very clever as we get to see the central figure's actions at the same time as learning about the kind of man he is; and like the writer at the heart of the tale, it's easy to become intrigued with the character of Dimitrios by watching the flashbacks.

The cast really is a strong element of this film, and starring alongside Peter Lorre is his co-star in The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca and The Verdict (to name a few), Sydney Greenstreet. These two actors work well together, and this is shown by the way that their dialogue flows. They're a bit of an odd couple, with Lorre being a very short European and Greenstreet being an enormous Englishman, but really that just adds to the appeal. An excellent supporting performance from a very dapper Zachary Scott rounds off the film in the acting department. The Mask of Dimitrios benefits from its dark picture, which in turn lends the film a grim and foreboding atmosphere. The locations are good, as the film takes place across Europe, with scenes taking place in Paris, Istanbul and Athens to name a few places. The plot moves very well as it straddles between what is happening in the present and what went on in the past, and Frank Gruber's screenplay does a great job of ensuring that the characters are well thought-out in a film that is as intriguing as it is thrilling. Recommended.

It's wartime and Warners is short of those hot, young leading men, so they bring on one of the all-time great screen odd couples - Sydney and Peter - to work their magic. And as always, they deliver, in "The Mask of Dimitrios" starring Zachary Scott, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Faye Emerson. Though never leaving the back lot of Warners, the film takes writer Cornelius Leyden (Lorre) through Istanbul, Athens, Sofia, Geneva, Belgrade and Paris, following the life and career of an intriguing figure - Dimitrios - whose dead body Leyden has just seen in the morgue. The more he learns about this man, the more fascinated he becomes, and he smells a great story. Dimitrios is a con man, a thief, a blackmailer, and a spy for hire, and his victims tell their stories in a series of flashbacks. One of these is a nightclub owner (Emerson), who owns a nightclub in Sofia; another is a police detective; another a spy. Finally, Cornelius meets Mr. Peters (Greenstreet) who has some startling information...and a plan.

"The Mask of Dimitrios" captures a European flavor with its international cast and creative sets, and director Jean Negulesco keeps the action moving. In the title role, Zachary Scott is appropriately both attractive and slithery as a man constantly eluding those out to get him. Lorre is just great, becoming more and more worried and confused as he is drawn deeper into Dimitrios' adventures. Sydney Greenstreet gives a performance as big as he is as Mr. Peters - the scene where he passionately embraces French francs is one of his best ever! The last half hour or so belong to these two screen gems, Lorre and Greenstreet, and it's very exciting.

Two odd-sized, talented character men who helped keep Warner Brothers grinding out films during the war, Lorre and Greenstreet made ten films together. Unfortunately, we don't have anything like these two making movies today. Don't miss them in "The Mask of Dimitrios."

I saw this at the 2006 Palm Springs Film Noir Festival and it was a film I had never seen before so it was great to see on the big screen. This is the story of the search for the story behind a master criminal whose murdered body bearing his credentials has washed ashore in Istanbul. Dimitrios Makropouls is a criminal who made the leap from being a common street beggar petty thief to murder, robbery and on to racketeering, con man, blackmailer and to the international stage as political assassin and spy. A writer becomes interested in his story and sets out to investigate his background for a book. The story moves from Turkey across the Balkans and Yugoslavia and Bulgaria to Switzerland and France. Zachary Scott is in his film debut as Dimitrios. Peter Lorre is the writer. Sydney Greenstreet is a man of intrigue who doesn't believe that Dimitrios is really dead. Faye Emerson is Dimitrios' ex-girlfriend. Also in the cast are Victor Francen and Steven Geray. This was adapted to screen by Frank Gruber from the popular 1939 crime/thriller novel A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler. The story is set in pre WWII Europe in the year the book was published. This film marked the feature film directorial debut for Jean Negulesco who would go on to direct such films as Humoresque, johnny Belinda, Three Came home, How To Marry a Millionaire, Three Coins in the Fountain and the excellent segment The Last Leaf from O'Henrys Full House. The cinematographer is Arthur Edeson whose long career began in the early silents and was the director of photography on such films as All Quiet On the Western Front, Frankenstein, The Invisable Man, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca. I liked the use of the Alberto Dominguez song Perfidia in the film by a Balkan band which was really scored by the Warner Brothers Orchestra as led by Jerome Moross. The now standard classic had been a hit for Glen Miller in 1941 and had showed up in four films already including Gene Autry's Stardust on Stage, Desi Arnez' Father Takes a Wife, Public Deb #1 and The Gay Sisters. This is a dialogue driven film and Lorre is a little stagy at times in his delivery but he has some great comic lines too and is great along with Sydney Greenstreet and they would be paired together in several films. Scott is a little wooden in his delivery. Emerson is outstanding as the young femme fatal/aged nightclub hostess. Great art direction from Ted Smith. I would give this an 8.5 out of 10.

I saw this movie 3 times in blackout conditions in 1944 on the German front just before the Battle of the Bulge. That was 3 separate times and apparently it was the only movie on the whole front. I just viewed it again today, 2002, and showed not a bit of age. It is exciting though it is 75% talk and 25% action. But what talk: Greenstreet and Lorre!! All the parts are finely chosen and hand polished until they fit the space perfectly. They don't make them like this anymore. Put it with Casablanca, Maltese Falcon (Bogart one), Key Largo, etc. If you like these, you'll love the Mask. And Col. Haki is great and in a previous movie was played by Orson Wells, i.e., another Eric Ambler movie. It is the Balkans in 1938 and background shots are exciting. If you don't know Faye Emerson, you will wish you did. Rush out and rent it.

A mystery writer (Peter Lorre) visiting Istanbul is told stories of a notorious criminal named Dimitrios (Zachary Scott) whose body was just found washed ashore on the beach. Intrigued by what he hears, he decides to investigate Dimitrios' life. Along the way he's joined by a mysterious man named Mr. Peters (Sydney Greenstreet), who had his own dealings with Dimitrios.

Intriguing noir thriller, directed by Jean Negulesco with a fine script adapted from an Eric Ambler novel. Most classic movie fans know any picture with Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet is bound to be good and this is one of their best. It's nice to see Lorre playing the 'hero' of the piece for once. Both men are in top form and their scenes together are excellent. Zachary Scott makes his film debut here and, for my money, it's one of his best roles. Faye Emerson and many other quality actors make up the supporting cast. It's a talky movie but that isn't necessarily a bad thing with a good cast and smart script like this. Definitely worth your time.

Eric Ambler was in a way the John Le Carré of his generation. A few of his works were turned into fantastic films. The two best ones were "Journey Into Fear" and "The Mask of Dimitrios." From the opening sequence when a body is washed ashore and a group of beachcombers walk up to it, realize what it is, and run away screaming, to the final fade out, this movie grabs the viewer's attention and holds it.

The acting is brilliant, from the stand out performances of the two leads, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet to the smallest bit players. Zachary Scott in his first screen appearance is a knockout as the coldblooded, calculating, ruthless international schemer, Dimitrios Makropoulos. Faye Emerson as one of the women, Irana Preveza, Dimitrios used for his own selfish purposes then discarded is uncanny as she changes from a beautiful nightclub singer (in the flashback) to the worn out haggard shadow of a person she has become when relating her story to Cornelius Leyden (Lorre). She tells Leyden that Dimitrios was the only man she was ever actually afraid of. Adding to the effectiveness of this scene is the haunting "Perfidia (Tonight)," played in the background. Victor Francen gives a powerful portrayal of Wladislaw Grodek, someone else Dimitrios has double crossed.

The story unfolds as Leyden, a writer intrigued by Dimitrios' treachery, sets about to uncover as much information as possible about the archfiend in order to write a book. He views Dimitrios' corpse at the morgue then begins backtracking to separate fact from fiction. Enter a stranger who has been following him, a Mr. Peters or is it Peterson. The stranger too wants the facts on Dimitrios for what purpose is not clear.

Not only is the viewer enthralled by the picture of Dimitrios that slowly emerges, but the international scope of the hunt is riveting, Istanbul, the Hellespont, Sofia, Belgrade, Athens, Paris. This was also the time that Hitler's war was raging across Europe which only adds to the atmosphere involving spying and treason.

Mystery writer Cornelius Leyden (Peter Lorre) attends a dinner party where he is told about the recent discovery of the body of a master criminal by Colonel Haki, chief of the local police. When Leyden learns that the criminal, Dimitrios Makropoulos, avoided capture for years, and engaged in everything from smuggling, blackmail, murder, and political assassination, he becomes intrigued, and begins an odyssey which takes him to many exotic locals in a bid to meet the actual people who dealt with, and managed to survive, encounters with the ruthless Dimitrios.

Leyden meets Irana Preveya, who met Dimitrios when he barged into her apartment to seize a crust of bread when he was on the verge of starvation. In flashback, we see how her story unfolds. She begins by saying, "I have known many men, but I've only been afraid of one ... Demitrios."

Then Leyden meets Grodek, a master spy, (superbly played by Victor Francen). Grodek reveals how years ago he employed Dimitrios to steal a naval chart of some important mine fields. In flashback, we see how he and Dimitrios duped Bulic, a short, pudding faced government employee, (played by Steven Geray) by first causing him to fall into debt, then by coercing him to steal the chart from an office down the hall from his own post. It was almost too much watching these two suave criminals befuddle this kindly little man.

All the while, Leyden accidentally encounters a stout gentleman in trains, restaurants, and other places. But it's no accident. The man is Mr. Peters, played by Sydney Greenstreet. Greenstreet is interested in Leyden, because Leyden is interested in Dimitrios. They soon combine forces as the films surges towards a gripping climax.

This is one of the great films of the 40's. Zachary Scott, in his 1st film, gives an oscar caliber performance as the cunning, charming, and totally ruthless Dimitrios Makropolus. There are other great performances all around, and this may be the only film where Peter Lorre gets to play himself. His character is complex. At first Leyden seems to have a cavalier interest in Dimitrios, but he has a drive and perseverence that are not at once evident. Greenstreet is masterful as the charming and courteous Mr. Peters. Yet, just below the surface of his polite veneer, he is full of vengeance. This film is a must for those who love mystery and international intrigue.

Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet star in this atmospheric noir from 1944.

Lorre plays a writer who becomes fascinated with a criminal known as Dimitrios, who's cut a path of thievery and murder across the Mediterranean. He's approached by Greenstreet, a mysterious stranger, about hatching a scheme to blackmail Dimitrios with information each has separately and that would be highly incriminating if put together. These shady dealings take Lorre, and the audience, to all manner of exotic locales, from Istanbul to Austria.

"The Mask of Dimitrios" isn't that different from any number of international intrigue stories from the same time period, but what does give it a touch of the unique is the relationship between Lorre and Greenstreet, two men who form a kind of tentative friendship even though neither much trusts the other. Lorre in particular gives a wonderfully engaging performance, full of character and wit. He's fascinating just to watch and listen to -- it doesn't' much matter what he's even doing or saying.

Grade: B+

A Dutch mystery writer tries to strip away THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS Makropoulos to discover the truth about his wicked life.

From Warner Bros. and director Jean Negulesco comes this well-produced version of Eric Ambler's novel A Coffin For Dimitrios. Thickly plotted and jammed with intriguing characters, the film will amply reward the attentive viewer. Moving quickly across Europe (Istanbul, Athens, Sofia, Geneva, Belgrade & Paris) the plot never lags as it adds details to the plots & crimes of Dimitrios. The final culmination of his nefarious career is most justified and quite satisfying.

Diminutive Peter Lorre (undeserving of the pitiful 4th place billing he receives) brings his unique talents to the role of the Dutch author. Feisty and tenacious, he lets nothing get in his way as he ferrets out the details for which he's searching. Massive Sydney Greenstreet portrays the mysterious stout gentleman who arranges an alliance with Lorre to seek information about the violently deceased Dimitrios. Looking somewhat like a malevolently cheerful Buddha, Greenstreet literally dominates most of his scenes with his enormous talent, his great bulk and expressive eyes put to most effective dramatic use. Teamed with Lorre, the pair make a compelling duo--like a sinister Laurel & Hardy--and are most entertaining to watch. They would appear in nine films together; this was one of their best.

The movie's only real drawback is the complete absence of Greenstreet & Lorre during the lengthy flashback sequences. But this is but a minor quibble as the rest of the cast comport themselves quite well.

As the despicable Dimitrios, Zachary Scott manages to divest himself of any hint of the heroic, while retaining a certain dash and smarmy charm about his persona. Faye Emerson, the picture's leading lady, has actually a rather limited role, but she makes good use of her screen time as a Sofia nightclub owner with a sad story to tell Lorre.

The large supporting cast features a considerable number of European character actors. Especially noteworthy are Kurt Katch as a Turkish police detective; Eduardo Ciannelli as a helpful Bulgarian reporter; Victor Francen as a cat-loving spy master living in Switzerland; and Steven Geray as a most unfortunate Yugoslavian governmental clerk. Chatty Florence Bates livens up her one short scene as an American society hostess living in Istanbul.

Set in 1938, the film was produced during World War Two. It is a fine example of how movie magic and back lot technology could transport an audience to a temporarily inaccessible geographic location.

When the body of the notorious Dimitrios Makropoulos is found stabbed and drowned at the sea coast of Istanbul, Colonel Haki (Kurt Katch) meets the Dutch writer Cornelius Leyden (Peter Lorre) at a party and tells the story of the criminal to the writer. Leyden decides to investigate the intriguing story to write a novel and stumbles upon the mysterious Mr. Peters (Sydney Greenstreet) while he learns the fascinating story of Dimitrios Makropoulos (Zachary Scott).

"The Mask of Dimitrios" is a film-noir with crime, drama and adventure of a notorious but fascinating criminal. The plot has many twists and the conclusion is satisfactory. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Máscara de Dimitrios" ("The Mask of Dimitrios")

The Mask of Dimitrios is directed by Jean Negulesco and adapted to screenplay by Frank Gruber from the novel "A Coffin for Dimitrios" written by Eric Ambler. It stars Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Zachary Scott and Faye Emerson. Music is by Adolph Deutsch and cinematography by Arthur Edeson.

"For money, some men will allow the innocent to hang. They will turn traitor...they will lie, cheat, steal...they will kill. They appear brilliant, charming, generous! But they are deadly. Such a man was Dimitrios"

Dimitrios alright - ruthless and primitive.

Foreign intrigue mystery thriller dressed up in film noir clobber, Jean Negulesco's film is a treat for the so inclined. Often tagged as the inferior baby brother of John Huston's The Maltese Falcon, that statement shouldn't detract from what a good film Dimitrios is. Plot finds Lorre as mystery novelist Cornelius Leyden, who after learning of the body of master scally-wag Dimitrios Makropoulos (Scott) being washed up dead on the shores of the Bosphorus, seeks out his history in the hope of writing a novel about him - aided by the suspicious Mr. Peters (Greenstreet). What he finds is waters more muddier and deeper than the Bosphorus itself.

Narrative is a two pronged affair, we are in the company of Leyden and Peters during real time, and in the dubious company of Dimitrios in a number of flashbacks that introduce new characters that are bruised and battered, or worse, by Dimitrios' actions. The story moves through a number of exotic European locations, ensuring there's always a cosmopolitan feel to the intrigue. Intrigue that ticks away nicely because nothing you sense is as it seems. Moody atmosphere is unbound via Edeson's (also The Maltese Falcon) photography, plenty of low lights and shadows ensure all the mystery machinations are given added impetus.

Back on release some critics bemoaned the lack of action and of "A" list stars, which now looks very unfair criticism. Certainly Greenstreet and Lorre to their fans have never been seen as lesser lights, their body of work holding up as joyous celluloid art. While the lack of action is irrelevant, this is about story telling and of characterisations, of mystery unravels, all of which leads to a super finale that rewards those who invested their time. 8/10

The Mask of Dimitrios features a writer, played by Peter Lorre, who travels the world learning about a heartless criminal named Dimitrios whose body has just washed up on the shore.

This Citizen Kane approach of interviews and flashbacks is fine in theory, but neither the talky flashbacks nor the talky present-day scenes are actually interesting. The entire story hinges on Lorre's fascination with Dimitrios, but in spite of a solid performance by Zachary Scott, Dimitrios never seems all that interesting.

As a matter of fact, nothing Lorre does really makes much sense. He wanders from situation to situation and agrees to all sorts of sketchy things with as much thought as someone channel hopping through late-night TV. His character just makes no sense at all.

Sydney Greenstreet is good as a shady character Lorre gets involved with, but as with Lorre he is undone by the bad script and clumsy dialogue.

I watched this movie because of all the positive reviews here, but I can't for the life of me figure out how so many people liked this movie. It's just not good at all. It's quite tedious.

The Mask of Dimitrios is an adaptation of Eric Ambler's novel A Coffin for Dimitrios directed by Rumanian-American director Jean Negulescu. A corpse of a man is found washed up on a sea shore somewhere in Bulgaria, which apparently is of Dimitrios Makropoulos, a sought after by the police of various European countries notorious criminal. A fiction writer Cornelius Leyden (Peter Lorre) gets interested in Dimitrios' story and decides to conduct an investigation about his life and death with the intent of writing a book about it. In order to do that he begins a journey through Europe, following the trail of Dimitrios activities, which begins in Istambul and ends in Paris.

On the way he is joined by a mysterious stranger Mr. Peters (Sydney Greenstreet) who, as it turns out to be, has the same mission of finding out about Dimitrios' life, but whose motivations are quite different.

A good but little seen Film-Noir classic. 8/10

This weird film noir from 1944 follows Peter Lorre, in a rare lead, a mystery writer who's given a real mystery when a known criminal & turncoat turns up dead & he decides to follow the trail on how this villain became the villain he was known for. The trip leads to various countries & personages where he meets the bad guy's partner, played by Sydney Greenstreet (co-star w/Lorre on numerous films), which uncovers more secrets Lorre can handle. Deft, light (given the material) & brimming w/shadowy intrigue, this adventure runs across the screen on its tiptoes w/a hiss inducing performance by Zachary Scott as the titular bad man.

I always wondered why there were so many movies starring that ugly little bugger, Lorre. After watching this excellent film on AMC I was informed that it was because most of the more film-friendly leading men were away at war (I apparently was too dense to make this connection myself). I find that interesting, that there should be all of these films starring Lorre and Greenstreet simply because everyone else was gone.

Well, not simply because of that, Lorre and Greenstreet are fine actors, but usually relegated to character acting. TMD really allows them to demonstrate their range (which may not have been great, but they could definitely carry a film). I really enjoyed this taught little thriller and found myself enthralled with its Machiavellian plot twists and scheming. Greenstreet was phenomenal as the terminally self interested criminal, Lorre was great as the obsessively curious novelist. And the story of the search for Dimitrios is highly remeniscent of The Usual Suspect (in fact, I would be curious if this film was the direct inspiration).

Definitely worth a watch if you can find it somewhere. Great film.

This movie is as good as the Third Man and the cast is a classic keeper. Dimitrios is not as endearing as Harry but he is every bit as ruthless and amoral. The movie is fairly faithful to Eric Ambler's book (A Coffin for Dimitrios). Sydney Greenstreet is in perfect character, Mr. Peters, as Sydney Greenstreet or should I say the character he portrays in the Maltese Falcon, Casablanca or Across the Pacific. Peter Lorre plays it straight as a writer, Charles Latimer, who discovers for the first time that there are men like Dimitrios Makropoulos, a man who can draw others to him but who has no love for anyone except himself a man who is truly amoral. This changes Latimer such that you know he will no longer be as trusting again. He is like all persons who naively trust in a world of rules and then confronts the fact that there are people who succeed by taking advantage of the rest of us because they know we live within the rules. Finally Zachary Scott was an excellent choice as Dimitrios. He is charming, handsome with the countenance of a reptile. I WANT THIS MOVIE TO BE DIGITIZED AND PUT ON DVD. IT IS GREAT!

Mr Leyden (Peter Lorre) is a famous crime author who takes an interest in the story of Dimitrios (Zachary Scott) when his body is washed up on shore. He delves into the past and meets various characters who give him snippets of information about the life that Dimitrios lived. However, he is unwittingly becoming involved in a plot......

The film is OK as entertainment but a little confusing at times as we are not really sure where the film is heading with several flashback sequences. Sydney Greenstreet's character as "Mr Peters" adds to the confusion with his peculiar dialogue. Peter Lorre is always fun to watch while Zachary Scott makes an effective baddie as Dimitrios. Greenstreet and Lorre have good chemistry in their scenes together - almost like lovers. There isn't really a good female role in this film - it's the Greenstreet and Lorre show - and the film lacks excitement.

Another disappointing Warners' entry from 1944, despite the sterling efforts of messrs Greenstreet and Lorre, who take centre-stage instead of providing colourful support for once. They're joined by Zachary Scott as a master criminal/spy whose body washes up on a beach one day - or does it? It's a kind of mash-up of Citizen Kane and The Third Man, even though The Third Man was yet to be made. Better directors than Jean Negulesco - and there were many - could have done so much more with this.

I first saw this in the 70's on TV and a few years afterwards went on to read the Eric Ambler novel – and found the Warners film had been an excellent adaptation, slightly shortened and simplified but not missing anything important. It was from Ambler's pre-Army classic early period and was a classic choice in which to bring Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet back together again. Alfred Hitchcock apparently thought the story was "hypnotically fascinating", and I can only wonder what he might have come up with if he'd made the film!

The death of the thoroughly rascally individual Dimitrios interests a Dutch writer of detective fiction Cornelius Leyden (altered from the English Charles Latimer in the book for some reason) played by Peter Lorre whose interest is fanned by the head of the Istanbul secret police Colonel Haki. One thing leads to another as sure as one fact uncovered leads to a journey to and from various people all over Europe in and out of flashback. It's all fascinating, convincing and engrossing in finding out about Dimitrios and the lives he'd led, and ended, in his quest for money and self-preservation over the previous fifteen years. To state he appeared to be a thoroughly bad hat is to put it mildly; one of those people it'd be best to cross the road to avoid. Add atmospheric sets nicely and atmospherically photographed in a gleaming nitrate monochrome, what more could lovers of the film noir genre want - not a femme fatale surely? Greenstreet will have to do instead... Two minor irritating non plot-dependent points though: in the book Bulic didn't "put a bullet through his head", and unfortunately the end of the film was er heavily Greenstreet-ised. It was Zachary Scott's film debut and most memorable role - a similar part to Orson Welles' Harry Lime five years later in The Third Man - and as the years went by neither of them seemed to be able to get a decent part.

Nowadays of course Leyden would've done all his researching and travelling on his smartphone and the story would be completely different and shorter still, even with sex and violence padding it out! Overall, a knockout film, recommended both as a movie and as a movie of the admittedly better book.

Considering the fine cast, I expected a bit more from "The Mask of Dimitrios". Now I am not saying it's a bad film...but it is a very talky one that should have been much better.

When the story begins, Cornelius Leyden (Peter Lorre) is in Turkey when he learns about the death of a colorful career criminal, Dimitrios Makropoulos (Zachary Scott). Because Leyden is a crime writer, the story intrigues him and as he travels throughout Europe, he tries to learn what he can about this evil man. Along the way, he develops a weird sort of friendship with Mr. Peters (Sidney Greenstreet) and meets a few other unusual characters who all tell Leyden about their awful dealings with Dimitrios.

Most of the film consists of folks talking and showing their stories through flashbacks...a somewhat unsatisfying way of telling the story. Now again, it's not bad...but it did seem like a rather detached and dull way of telling the story. Worth seeing, but not much better than a time-passer.