Strange enough, all the previous comments merely described the beginning and left the details over. I feel a necessity to confirm that this is a family work, since Marina Vlady was also Robert Hossein's wife, and the - excellent - jazz music was written by te director's father, André. Under these circumstances, no wonder it was a really good thriller, seen when issued and immediately identified with the music. The suspense was flawless, and maintained throughout until the end. Robert Hossein, at the time one of the best European players, managed to impose himself also as a top screen and stage director. He's still putting up great stage shows, with a preference for religious subjects.harry carasso, Paris, France
14 Reviews
Sisters
dbdumonteil11 August 2006
"Toi le Venin" is Robert Hossein's masterpiece,and one of the great thrillers of the fifties.Based on a Frederic Dard novel,a writer the director often worked with (see also "le Monte-Charge" which Hossein did not direct but in which he was the lead too),the screenplay grabs you from the first pictures on a desert road by night where a beautiful blonde might be the fieriest of the criminals to the mysterious house where he finds his femme fatale ..and her sister.Then begins a cat and mouse play .One of the sisters is in a wheelchair .But is she really disabled?Which one is the criminal who tried to kill the hero on that night?
The two actresses,Marina Vlady and the late Odile Versois were sisters.
Turn off all the lights before watching.Highly suspenseful.
The two actresses,Marina Vlady and the late Odile Versois were sisters.
Turn off all the lights before watching.Highly suspenseful.
A "bloodless" French noir that still delivers
melvelvit-117 April 2014
More "Riviera noir" as Robert Hossein directs and stars in a suspenseful "romantic" thriller that predicts the dysfunctional family dynamics of Robert Aldrich's WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? a half-decade later.
Canned TV personality Pierre Menda blew his last dime at the Nice casinos and hits the road on foot where he's offered a ride by a mysterious blonde in a white car and mink coat. He can't make out her face in the shadows but it doesn't matter once she pulls over and opens her coat to reveal that's all she's got on. They have sex and when it's over, she kicks him out of the car and tries to run him down but luckily Pierre manages to get the woman's license plate number before she speeds off into the night. This clue eventually leads him to a waterfront mansion where two blonde sisters live, one demure and the other vivacious despite being confined to a wheelchair. Neither one seems likely to be the wanton that raped him but curious nonetheless, he accepts their invitation to stay the night and it's not long before the sisters offer him a job, a place to live, and their love. Uh oh.
A throbbing jazz score and a bitterly ironic twist at the end top off what looks to be a reel family affair: director Hossein adapted his friend Frédéric Dard's pulp novel and co-starred with his wife, Marina Vlady, and sister-in-law Odile Versois. His father, André Hossein, composed the music.
Canned TV personality Pierre Menda blew his last dime at the Nice casinos and hits the road on foot where he's offered a ride by a mysterious blonde in a white car and mink coat. He can't make out her face in the shadows but it doesn't matter once she pulls over and opens her coat to reveal that's all she's got on. They have sex and when it's over, she kicks him out of the car and tries to run him down but luckily Pierre manages to get the woman's license plate number before she speeds off into the night. This clue eventually leads him to a waterfront mansion where two blonde sisters live, one demure and the other vivacious despite being confined to a wheelchair. Neither one seems likely to be the wanton that raped him but curious nonetheless, he accepts their invitation to stay the night and it's not long before the sisters offer him a job, a place to live, and their love. Uh oh.
A throbbing jazz score and a bitterly ironic twist at the end top off what looks to be a reel family affair: director Hossein adapted his friend Frédéric Dard's pulp novel and co-starred with his wife, Marina Vlady, and sister-in-law Odile Versois. His father, André Hossein, composed the music.
Frederic Dard's novel.
lionel.willoquet5 July 2001
A man looks for the nymphomaniac who nearly crushed him, one evening, on a road of Provence. "Night Is Not for Sleep", interpreted and realized by Robert Hossein, old friend of Frederic Dard in the city, an alarming suspense with Marina Vlady and Odile Versois. Panting psychological thriller, adapted by Frederic Dard's novel.
7.3/10. Recommended
athanasiosze25 March 2024
This is much better than i expected. A very good mystery/drama movie which didn't had an open ending like so many mystery movies. On the contrary, every question here was answered. It kept me guessing until the end, and this is not something common for a 1958 movie, i mean, movies of this era were not so complicated and you can easily guess what is happening, especially if you have watched thousands of movies. I am not saying it is brilliant neither mindblowing. This is clever, not just enjoyable but exciting, nice music and cinematography, very good actors and most of all, these women are really beautiful :)
Easy to follow, not convoluted, kinda "light". I am so glad i found it.
Easy to follow, not convoluted, kinda "light". I am so glad i found it.
Intriguing three-person mystery keeps you wondering all the way to the end
gridoon202427 June 2022
A gripping start (accurately described by the lurid English title - "Nude in a White Car") for an intriguing, unpretentious mystery: it introduces three characters, it makes clear that one of the two is lying, and it puts you in the place of the third, trying to figure out which one. In an inspired bit of casting, real-life sisters Odile Versois and Marina Vlady, who bear a striking resemblance to each other, are cast as (half) sisters in the movie as well, which produces a Hitchcockian "blurring the lines" effect. **1/2 out of 4.
MELODRAMA, NOT NOIR
adverts31 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This is the first Hossein directed film I've seen...and I'd say I was disappointed. I'd like to see some of his other films to decide whether I think he is the "auteur" that some claim he is.
When describing this film to someone, I said "it's a bit silly". Calling this a masterpiece, noir, etc is also a bit silly.
First, you have to believe that Pierre cannot see or remember the woman he slept with. The film plays unfair with the audience showing Eva combing her hair like Helene (why??). Eva gives up way too easily...and then just leaves?! And Helene - she goes out and sex with men every so often? Really? Pierre takes over the shop -- why would that happen? It's all just too much to be taken seriously. Hence...a bit silly. It's moderately entertaining and moves along well, but I understand why Hossein was often dissed by critics and filmmakers.
When describing this film to someone, I said "it's a bit silly". Calling this a masterpiece, noir, etc is also a bit silly.
First, you have to believe that Pierre cannot see or remember the woman he slept with. The film plays unfair with the audience showing Eva combing her hair like Helene (why??). Eva gives up way too easily...and then just leaves?! And Helene - she goes out and sex with men every so often? Really? Pierre takes over the shop -- why would that happen? It's all just too much to be taken seriously. Hence...a bit silly. It's moderately entertaining and moves along well, but I understand why Hossein was often dissed by critics and filmmakers.
If this film is available in DVD Format (Original French) - region 2 - Europe - I would love to acquire a copy..
stanistreet16 January 2005
WHEN I first saw this film, in London, in 1958, I was bowled over. I had never seen a film like this before. It had a strange, hypnotic effect, quite unlike the films that I had seen previously and it left a lasting impact.
I believe that Odile Versios & Marina Vlady are sisters, if not twins. Certainly the interaction is amazing in its power to influence the viewer.
If this has been converted to DVD - in Region 2 format - and in the original French language, I would love to hear about it & where it can be purchased.
I believe that Odile Versios & Marina Vlady are sisters, if not twins. Certainly the interaction is amazing in its power to influence the viewer.
If this has been converted to DVD - in Region 2 format - and in the original French language, I would love to hear about it & where it can be purchased.
" And I stayed alone with the great blue sky."
morrison-dylan-fan15 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Gathering up 100 French movies to watch over 100 days,I was thrilled to find that a very kind IMDber had sent me a creepy-sounding French Film Noir co-written/directed and starring Robert Hossein,which led to me getting ready to find out what the night is for.
The plot:
Walking off the beach, Pierre Menda gets offered a lift from a mysterious women.Parking up,the women takes her clothes off,and has sex with Menda.With having had sex with her,Menda decides to ask the women what her name is (!),which leads to a gun being put against his face. Interested in finding the women,Menda looks round the area and finds the car parked outside a mansion.Entering the mansion,Menda finds it to contain two sisters,the wheelchair bound Eva Lecain and her career Hélène.Finding himself drawn into their complicated relationship,Menda begins to suspect that the sisters are keeping something secret from him.
View on the film:
Rolling the role away from being a charity case, Marina Vlady gives an exquisite performance as Eva Lecain,whose angelic face Vlady cracks to unveil the femme fatale laying in wait.Giving up everything to take care of her sister, Odile Versois gives an excellent performance as Hélène,by Versois walking a fine wire which puts all of the weight of the years of care on Hélène's shoulders,and also steps on her sinister Film Noir side. Entering the Lecain mansion, Robert Hossein gives a rugged performance as Film Noir loner Menda,by Hossein initially giving Menda a peacemaker shell which starts to crack as Menda begins to doubt how much he can trust the sisters.
Locking the trio up in the mansion,director Hossein & cinematographer Robert Juillard cast a blistering Film Noir atmosphere over the title,which unleashes a white-hot sun that burns the shadows of the sisters and Menda.Backed by a playful score from his dad André,Hossein displays a masterful eye for detail,thanks to Hossein having the sisters linger in the background like a ghost haunting this Film Noir chamber.
Splashing Frédéric Dard's crisp pulp novel on the screen,the screenplay by Hossein and Daniel Hortis slices brittle melodrama with an impending Fim Noir doom.Keeping the body count at 0,the writers exchange gunfights for explosive Film Noir dialogue,which is centred around giving the fragile relationships a psychological depth,due to the arrival of outsider Menda opening everything that has remained silent between the Lecain,as they each find out that night is not for sleep.
The plot:
Walking off the beach, Pierre Menda gets offered a lift from a mysterious women.Parking up,the women takes her clothes off,and has sex with Menda.With having had sex with her,Menda decides to ask the women what her name is (!),which leads to a gun being put against his face. Interested in finding the women,Menda looks round the area and finds the car parked outside a mansion.Entering the mansion,Menda finds it to contain two sisters,the wheelchair bound Eva Lecain and her career Hélène.Finding himself drawn into their complicated relationship,Menda begins to suspect that the sisters are keeping something secret from him.
View on the film:
Rolling the role away from being a charity case, Marina Vlady gives an exquisite performance as Eva Lecain,whose angelic face Vlady cracks to unveil the femme fatale laying in wait.Giving up everything to take care of her sister, Odile Versois gives an excellent performance as Hélène,by Versois walking a fine wire which puts all of the weight of the years of care on Hélène's shoulders,and also steps on her sinister Film Noir side. Entering the Lecain mansion, Robert Hossein gives a rugged performance as Film Noir loner Menda,by Hossein initially giving Menda a peacemaker shell which starts to crack as Menda begins to doubt how much he can trust the sisters.
Locking the trio up in the mansion,director Hossein & cinematographer Robert Juillard cast a blistering Film Noir atmosphere over the title,which unleashes a white-hot sun that burns the shadows of the sisters and Menda.Backed by a playful score from his dad André,Hossein displays a masterful eye for detail,thanks to Hossein having the sisters linger in the background like a ghost haunting this Film Noir chamber.
Splashing Frédéric Dard's crisp pulp novel on the screen,the screenplay by Hossein and Daniel Hortis slices brittle melodrama with an impending Fim Noir doom.Keeping the body count at 0,the writers exchange gunfights for explosive Film Noir dialogue,which is centred around giving the fragile relationships a psychological depth,due to the arrival of outsider Menda opening everything that has remained silent between the Lecain,as they each find out that night is not for sleep.
Hypnotic Film Noir French Thriller I am glad to have on DVD
peaceriver6 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the best noir thrillers I've ever seen. Hypnotic and disturbing, it almost reminds me as much of Carnival Of Souls or a William Castle film--only this has better performances, a stronger script. Hossein has crafted a masterwork here. I was glad to finally get a DVD from santa flix on googly.
A drifter gets picked up by a strange blonde one night in the streets of Nice, France. She seduces him then dumps him. To add insult to injury she tries to run him down with her car before speeding way. He manages to get the number off her license plate. This leads him to a house where two blonde sisters live. Either one could be the woman he seeks, and either one could be out to do him greater harm.
This plot description doesn't do justice to this eerie psychological thriller. All three leads give excellent performances.
A drifter gets picked up by a strange blonde one night in the streets of Nice, France. She seduces him then dumps him. To add insult to injury she tries to run him down with her car before speeding way. He manages to get the number off her license plate. This leads him to a house where two blonde sisters live. Either one could be the woman he seeks, and either one could be out to do him greater harm.
This plot description doesn't do justice to this eerie psychological thriller. All three leads give excellent performances.
Ménage à trois
kinsayder28 December 2015
Two sisters live in a lonely mansion by the sea. One of them (Marina Vlady) is confined to a wheelchair. One of them, unknown to the other, goes out at night to entertain random strangers in the front seat of their convertible. But which one?
The question acquires a fresh urgency when the latest "victim" (Robert Hossein) shows up on their doorstep. The sisters look so similar he can't decide which one he encountered the previous night. Neither seems the type. The sisters invite him to stay and an awkward ménage à trois develops - awkward because the unanswered question remains: which of the two is lying about her nocturnal excursions?
This is the premise, and it's a thin one, but Hossein (who also directs) does a great job with the material, keeping the suspense going till the final scene. The direction is sleek and stylish, Vlady (Hossein's wife at the time) is jaw droppingly gorgeous, and there's a nifty jazz score by André Hossein. Put your disbelief on hold and enjoy.
The question acquires a fresh urgency when the latest "victim" (Robert Hossein) shows up on their doorstep. The sisters look so similar he can't decide which one he encountered the previous night. Neither seems the type. The sisters invite him to stay and an awkward ménage à trois develops - awkward because the unanswered question remains: which of the two is lying about her nocturnal excursions?
This is the premise, and it's a thin one, but Hossein (who also directs) does a great job with the material, keeping the suspense going till the final scene. The direction is sleek and stylish, Vlady (Hossein's wife at the time) is jaw droppingly gorgeous, and there's a nifty jazz score by André Hossein. Put your disbelief on hold and enjoy.
NOT TO BE MISSED
whatsupomar27 January 2021
I first saw this film in 1959 at age 13 and it made quite an impression. The image of a blonde beauty, bare-breasted in a car in the shadows of the night, was simply too much and it stayed in my mind forever. At the advent of the home video industry, a re-encounter with the nasty little film seemed possible but I had to wait three decades for it to become true. I am happy to report that thanks to the Gaumont folks in France, "Toi, le venin" came out in style, a magnificent print in black & white, in Blu-ray no less. The edition includes an original trailer and an interview with Marina Vlady talking about her character in the movie. Often, films that impressed us when young are as huge disappointment when we see them as adults. Thankfully this is not the case with "Toi, le venin" since, apart from the bare-breasted blonde, it is a fine film that will maintain your attention from beginning to end. Don´t miss it! They don´t make movies like this anymore.
French Noir Masterpiece
rob-82-30276316 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Actor and director Robert Hossein's (RIFIFI, CHAIR DE POULE) noir masterpiece and one of the great French thrillers of the fifties. One dark night, in the deserted streets of Nice, an car slowly drives past Victor Menda (Robert Hossein) and then pulls up. A come-on from the mysterious blonde at the wheel and Victor finds himself kissing and making love with the gorgeous creature. But as soon as the embrace is over, the mantis-like beauty rejects him and, under the threat of a gun, makes him leave the car. Worse, she tries - and nearly manages - to kill him by running over him. After the twisted encounter, he traces the license plates to the address of the monstrous nymphomaniac. To his amazement he discovers that in the villa - in front of which the car is parked - two identical twin sisters live together, both of whom look sweet and harmless, but which one is the psycho? Turn out the lights before watching this psychological cat- and-mouse thriller. Based on a Frederic Dard's novel "Night Is Not for Sleep".
Read the film summary
jaquem_o22 May 2000
A man looks for the mysterious young lady who tried to crush him one evening
One night, while he promenades in the streets of Nice, Victor Menda is accosted by a fair young lady in the steering wheel of Cadillac. The attractive creature, whose face stays in the shadow, invites Victor to rise, give herself fervently to him then stick him the cannon of a revolver on the temple and order him to get off. While he goes away, she tries to crush him. Victor just escapes death. Furious, he has the reflex to note the number of the car. A fast inquiry leads him around a big house where live two very resembling sisters, both fair.
One night, while he promenades in the streets of Nice, Victor Menda is accosted by a fair young lady in the steering wheel of Cadillac. The attractive creature, whose face stays in the shadow, invites Victor to rise, give herself fervently to him then stick him the cannon of a revolver on the temple and order him to get off. While he goes away, she tries to crush him. Victor just escapes death. Furious, he has the reflex to note the number of the car. A fast inquiry leads him around a big house where live two very resembling sisters, both fair.
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