La dragée haute

Taking the place of the police, whom he finds neither fast nor efficient enough, a journalist named Hugo sets out to find the perpetrator of a murder. Suffocating in the small town where he plies his trade, he is eager to seize the opportunity that will make him a great reporter. The discovery of a murdered young woman - a high-fashion model - puts him on the trail of diamond smugglers. Despite the cautious advice of the newspaper editor and the pleas of his wife, who senses the dangers threatening them, Hugo forges ahead, plunging headlong into the labyrinth where gangsters are luring him to disappear. He finally unmasks the murderer. He finally gets his sensational story - but through his own carelessness, another girl falls victim to the gang. At the last second, the wife he thought he'd lost through his stubborn, madly clumsy attitude is still there, ready to comfort him.

Directed by Jean Kerchner, La dragée haute leans on a strong ensemble — Michel Piccoli, Odile Versois, Dany Saval — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about crime titles of 1960.