the audience applauded

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

This is an eminently forgettable flick among the numerous Maigret's investigations ;this one takes place (check the title) in Pigalle and was probably made to attract a "different" audience who ,besides,might be disappointed if they expect hot stuff .Gino Cervi,a comic actor,is not well cast and does not seem to be that much interested in this whodunit in which he helps his colleague ,superintendant Lognon ( The Onion)(Alfred Adam).As for the story ,an educated prostitute who likes Beethoven,Stravinski ...and the Beatles -she owns a copy of "rubber soul" - is murdered ,then a countess is slain.The only relatively interesting subject concerns Raymond Pellegrin and his wife (Lila Kedrova) who is ten years older than he is ;but they get lost in a muddled screenplay.