Monday 4 April 2016

1960, Television: “Maigret”

31 October 1960 "Murder in Montmarte", the first episode of the British television series "Maigret", is broadcast on the BBC. The series is based on the Maigret books by the Belgian writer Georges Simenon. Following a pilot episode, "Maigret and the Lost Life", in 1959, the series ran for 52 episodes from 1960 to 1963.

The series stars Rupert Davies as the Sûreté detective Commissaire Jules Maigret, with Ewen Solon as Lucas, Helen Shingler as Madame Maigret and Neville Jason as Lapointe. The theme music was composed by Ron Grainer.
Rupert Davies Jules Maigret
Georges Simenon and Rupert Davies
Rupert Davies as Inspector Maigret and Neville Jason as Lapointe
Helen Shingler as Madame Maigret and Rupert Davies as Inspector Maigret
Main cast
  • Rupert Davies as Inspector Maigret
  • Ewen Solon as Lucas
  • Neville Jason as Lapointe
  • Helen Shingler as Madame Maigret
  • Victor Lucas as Torrence
Annette Carell as Sylvie and Rupert Davies as Jules Maigret in the episode
"Liberty Bar" (1960)
John Slater, Ewen Solon as Lucas, Philip Latham and Rupert Davies as Jules Maigret
in the episode "The Wedding Guest" (1962)

"Maigret" opening credits (1960)

2 comments:

  1. I believe Maigret is being remade by BBC with Rowan Atkinson in the main role

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  2. When Belgian writer Georges Simenon first met Rupert Davies he enthusiastically exclaimed: "C'est Maigret! You are the flesh and bone of Maigret!" The creator of the most famous French detective couldn't be more right. Later he gave the actor a novel as a present with the inscription: "At last - I met the perfect Maigret!" Indeed Rupert Davies' brilliant portrayal of Jules Maigret is unsurpassable. It matches the novels perfect and the BBC created a real masterpiece. Over here in Germany it is still remembered with great affection and achieved cult status. When I discovered this wonderful series last summer - due copyrights it was not repeated on German television since the Sixties, when I wasn't even born - on the occasion of the DVD release of the German version it immediately made me an avid fan of Rupert Davies and his Maigret. I created a fanpage for him and made several video tributes like this one to honour him:

    https://youtu.be/5gJuLII9-0U

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