Elevator to the Gallows 1961

A businessman, Julien Tavernier, becomes entangled in a dangerous web of deceit and desire as he falls for his boss’s wife, Florence Carala. In a desperate plot to murder his employer and make it appear as a suicide, he meticulously prepares for the crime, involving an ingenious use of a grappling hook and rope to stealthily ascend the building without the aid of the elevator.

Everything seems to be going according to plan until he makes a critical error: he forgets to retrieve the rope. When he returns to the elevator, seeking an escape, he is abruptly stopped by the building custodian who cuts off the power, leaving him stranded between floors. As Frantic (an alternate title for this gripping tale, also known as Elevator to the Gallows), our anti-hero finds himself ensnared in a situation that spirals beyond his control, struggling for a way out.

Meanwhile, Florence Carala is on the streets, anxiously wondering about Julien’s fate. Her day takes a turn for the worse when she’s confronted by the gendarmes due to her lack of identification. To complicate matters further, a pair of teenage lovers, Louis and Veronique, portrayed by Georges Poujouly and Yori Bertin, plot to steal Julien’s vehicle, aware of his identity. Their reckless crime spree includes stealing a luxurious Mercedes 300SL, culminating in a tragic murder of its owners.

As the story unfolds with unexpected twists, when Julien finally escapes the confines of the elevator with the dawn, he is confronted with a reality that reveals the chaotic consequences of his actions. His journey serves as an unsettling reminder that the universe can often be treacherous and unpredictable, leaving him to grapple with the fallout of his ill-fated decisions. The tension mounts as we are left to ponder: what will become of Julien in this unforgiving world?