Peur sur la ville (1975)

Commissaire Letellier and Inspector Moissac are tracking Minos, a serial killer whose victims are women.

Director:

Henri Verneuil

Writers:

Jean Laborde (dialogue), Francis Veber (dialogue)

Stars:

Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Denner, Adalberto Maria Merli

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean-Paul Belmondo	...	Le commissaire Jean Letellier
Charles Denner	...	L'inspecteur Moissac
Adalberto Maria Merli	...	Pierre Valdeck / Minos (as Adalberto-Maria Merli)
Rosy Varte	...	Germaine Doizon
Roland Dubillard	...	Le psychologue
Jean Martin	...	Le commissaire divisionnaire, Sabin
Catherine Morin	...	Hélène Grammont
Germana Carnacina	...	Pamela Sweet
Giovanni Cianfriglia	...	Marcucci
Henry Djanik	...	Un inspecteur de police
Louis Samier
Jacques Paoli	...	Himself / Lui-même
Jean-Louis Fortuit
Gilberte Géniat
Philippe Brigaud

Storyline

A serial killer frightens Paris by phoning young ladies at night, telling them insults about their lives. Minos, as he calls himself, wants to prevent the world from free women and so he targets them. Commissaire Letellier is given the investigation and has a hard time with the maniac.

---

Plot Keywords:

actor performing own stunts | tough cop | motorcycle | hostage | paris france | 

---

Taglines:

There's a killer on the loose ... Belmondo is the cop who will do anything possible ... or impossible ... to stop him.

---

Genres:

Action | Thriller | Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

21 November 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fear Over the City

Filming Locations:

1 Place de l'Hôtel de ville, Asnières-sur-Seine, France

Box Office

Budget:

FRF 12,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cerito Films,Mondial Televisione Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jean-Paul Belmondo performs his own stunts. He was coached by Rémy Julienne.

---

Goofs

When commissioner Letellier is chasing Minos in the subway, and is running on a train roof in stations, we see the same station twice.

---

Alternate Versions

There are many different run times for this film. The Euro versions run the longest and the US/UK versions (known as The Night Caller)run the shortest. However "The Night Caller" contains some footage not seen in the longer running time versions. The US version runs 91 minutes while the UK version runs about a minute shorter (with some violence cut out.)

---

Connections

Referenced in Scream (1996)

User Reviews

JP Belmondo Chases Killers Across Paris

Jean Paul Belmondo and his associate, Charles Denner, play tough cops after two killers in "Fear Over the City." Although not listed in the credits, the city of Paris plays a major supporting role. One killer, Marcucci, is a bank robber Belmondo's character is after for killing a fellow cop during an auto chase. At one point later in the picture, Belmondo is on the roof of a Paris Metro car above ground as it goes though Paris, with the cop killer inside the train. The viewer gets a chance to see the city sights as the train zips along.

The second killer, who uses the name "Minos," wants to rid the world of sexual immorality by targeting women he finds objectionable. Belmondo gets into a gunfight with Minos while on the sloping roof of a store, apparently the Galleries Lafayette. Director Verneuil does a great job of adding thrills as Belmondo slips on the sloping roof several times, almost falling off, all the while shooting it out with Minos. The pursuit of Minos after the roof fight leads to a chase through Paris, past the Eiffel Tower and through downtown streets, Belmondo's police car after Minos, on a motorcycle.

In this movie Belmondo gets a chance to play a real tough cop, one who shoots back at a suspect, hitting him, and then ignores him as he asks for an ambulance. Instead, Belmondo takes a break, reading a magazine in the wounded man's apartment until the guy talks. There is that scene in the basement of a bar, where 38 illegal aliens from Mali rent space from the bar owner. 1975 and this movie shows illegals forced to live in double or triple bunk beds in a storage basement. Belmondo's bell bottom pants have dated, but not that basement scene nor the professionalism the cast and crew bring to this movie.