Elevator to the Gallows

Haifa Classics

""Elevator to the Gallows drew upon major talents and achieved near-legendary results with all of them""

Los Angeles Times
  • Archive - Festival 33
  • Director: Louis Malle
  • France 1958
  • 92 minutes
  • French
  • Subtitles in Hebrew, English

In his mesmerizing debut feature, twenty-four-year-old director Louis Malle brought together the beauty of Jeanne Moreau, the camerawork of Henri Decaë, and a now legendary score by Miles Davis.

A touchstone of the careers of both its star and director, Elevator to the Gallows is a richly atmospheric thriller of murder and mistaken identity unfolding over one restless Parisian night.

Filmography: May Fools (1990), Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987), Atlantic City (1980), Pretty Baby (1978), The Thief of Paris (1967), Zazie dans le métro (1960), The Lovers (1958).

Digital Copy


  • Director Louis Malle
  • Production Jean Thuillier
  • Script Roger Nimier, Louis Malle, based on the novel by Noël Calef
  • Cinematography Henri Decaë
  • Editing Léonide Azar
  • Music Miles Davis
  • Actors Jeanne Moreau, Maurice Ronet, Georges Poujouly, Yori Bertin, Jean Wall, Lino Ventura
  • Source French Embassy, Tel Aviv