Julien Courtois, a womanizer and struggling businessman, borrows money from a loan shark. And, of course, the money is due and Julien can’t pay. What to do? Julien comes up with the perfect crime. And, it almost works. Unfortunately, Julien inadvertently leaves some critical evidence behind. Realizing his mistake, Julien reenters the empty building…and gets stuck in a powerless elevator! While Julien is stuck, two juvenile delinquents steal his car. That theft leads to a death. Meanwhile, Julien’s wife suspects Julien is having an affair when he doesn’t come home from work. Noel Calef’s Frantic juggles several cunning plots that culminate in a noirish ending filled with irony and dark comedy. Frantic was filmed by Louis Malle as Elevator to the Gallows (1961). This is one of the best novels in STARK HOUSE’s Black Gat Books series. GRADE: A-
Thanks for the tip, George. I’ve wanted to read this for a long time.
Dan, FRANTIC is suspenseful and compelling. The tension on each page keeps the plot speeding along to the surprising conclusion!
Totally don’t know this one (or the movie) but it sounds good.
I saw the movie years ago, probably on TCM, and remember liking it, although I was unaware of the fact that it was based on a novel. The Black Gat books I’ve read have all been pretty good, and I’ll try this one. Never heard of Calef, though. Is he well known?
Michael, the BIBLIOGRAPHY in the STARK HOUSE edition of FRANTIC shows Noel Calef wrote nine novels (many were made into movies) and five non-fiction books.
George, starting to read your post I thought “I know this story” – and then of course made the connection … 🙂
“Fahrstuhl zum Schafott” made a big splash all over Europe – it made Jeanne Moreau into a star and director Malle into a household name.
The music of Miles Davis helped too.
Just a small correction:
At least in Europe the movie appeared already in 158 – we watche it while still at school – you had to be 16 years of age to be admitted …
Of course that should have been 1958 …
Wolf, thanks for those details. I haven’t seen ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS but now I want to!
The British title, according to Wikipedia, was LIFT TO THE SCAFFOLD.
Yes, that’s another American/British English difference: lift/elevator …
Btw in German we also often say Lift instead of the official “Aufzug”.
And a scaffold (Schafott) was used in Germany too for capital punishment – while the French used the guillotine – used the last time in 1977!
Such a fantastic movie directed by Louis Malle, heavily influenced by Hitchcock, and starring the great Jeanne Moreau. Never read the book, but I soon will! A short story Calef wrote (“Rodolphe et le revolver”) was slightly rewritten and transformed into another great crime thriller – Tiger Bay with Hayley Mills and Horst Buchholz. In Calef’s story the lead character is a boy who finds the gun, not a girl.
JF, I like Louis Malle’s films, but I haven’t seen ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS…yet! I’ll also check out TIGER BAY based on your description.
This is totally new to me. Thanks so much for pointing this out. I have pre-ordered it.
Tracy, I actually bought a copy of FRANTIC in the original GOLD MEDAL edition long, long ago. But, I never got around to reading it. My loss… Now, with the STARK HOUSE edition, I’ve rectified that error.
In my world I’ve known the movie for the Miles Davis soundtrack, the prototype for many lonely, bluesy tracks to follow. The LP jacket translated it as “Elevator to the Scaffold.”
Art, I’ve heard the Miles Davis soundtrack. And, you’re right, it is bluesy.
I have not read the book but have seen the movie several times as I am a big Louis Malle fan including Les Amants and The Fire Within. There is a bit of Double Indemnity (also a movie and book) in Elevator to the Gallows in that the wife conspires with her lover/employee of the husband to get rid of the husband. Then it all goes wrong and both suffer in the end. Both Elevator to the Gallows and Double Indemnity are good movies.
Jgenova1, I agree with you on DOUBLE INDEMNITY and ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS. I like the conspiring in both. Very suspenseful!