De arriba a abajo

Although the director is very famous,this is one of the most obscure of all Gabin's movies.Who knows in his native France that he was directed by Pabst? The movie is supposed to take place in Germany but everything sounds French,except maybe the Concierge in uniform.The plot is very simple but the treatment is quite good and "De Haut En Bas" is a charming comedy:the title (=from the top downwards) hints at the tenants of an apartment building ,among them Pauline Carton and Michel Simon ,who does not know the " rent-is-always-due" rule.Gabin portrays the Concierge's nephew, a football champ who's got a few things to learn.A girl -who has a PhD in geography and who has still not found a teacher job (at the time,however ,there were probably not many girls with such a degree!)- works as a servant upstairs .Her employers are not very nice: the woman is mean and sour-tempered,the man wants to sleep with the young maid and he is always making advances to her.

This is a must for Gabin's fans ,one of the best movies of his pre mega-stardom days.