LES DIABOLIQUES (1955)

• Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
• Featured gimmick: No Late Admission!
• Cast: Simone Signoret, Véra Clouzot, Paul Meurisse
• Film: 117mins | France | French with English Subtitles | Intermission
• Event: 18:30 – 21:15 / Doors 18:00 [18+]

The wife and mistress of a loathed headteacher plan to murder him with what they believe is the perfect alibi.

Token Homo’s cult film night BAR TRASH previews our 13th sensational season — SCREAM FOR YOUR LIVES! — with Henri-Georges Clouzot’s suspenseful French masterpiece, LES DIABOLIQUES (1955).

Based on a novel by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac (who also wrote the book VERTIGO is based on), LES DIABOLIQUES is the story of the wife (Véra Clouzot) and mistress (Simone Signoret) of a sadistic headteacher of a second-rate boys boarding school (Paul Meurisse). The women plot to murder him with what seems the perfect alibi. However, things don’t go to plan…

This was the psychological horror film that inspired ‘King of the Gimmicks’ William Castle to ‘scare the pants off America’. Seeing LES DIABOLIQUES at a sold out screening with his wife Ellen, Castle noted the youthful age of the crowd and their vocal enthusiasm for the film: “I watched transfixed as the movie unfolded its grisly tale before my eyes… When that audience gave that final collective scream, I knew that’s where I wanted to take them — only I want louder screams, more horror, more excitement”. The Castles immediately hatched a plot to do just that: targeting the American youth market with their signature cocktail of thrills and chills, blended with goofiness and gimmicks, resulting in the perfect ‘date night’ experience for a new generation of American teenagers.

Henri-Georges Clouzot is often described as the ‘French Hitchcock’, but LES DIABOLIQUES inspired Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, William Castle and many others to echo the film’s conflicted morality and darkly ambiguous storytelling in their own work. The dramatic plot twists in LES DIABOLIQUES gave the film its own exhibition gimmick in the form of on-screen request not to give away the ending and a box office policy — adopted in some locations — of enforcing “no late admission” so as not to spoil the build up of tension (gimmicks Hitchcock copied for PSYCHO).

Polite notice: We are showing LES DIABOLIQUES in its original French language with English subtitles.

/// BAR TRASH is a celebration of cult and curious cinema, hosted by queer film fanatic Token Homo and friends. Films are served with introductions, intermissions, prize giveaways, and subtitles / captions where possible. Tickets from £3.50 + fees. Adults 18+ only. Follow @tokenhomo on Instagram for updates. ///