Nuit du Carrefour, La (1932) review

After a diamond merchant was found murdered in a car, Belgian Inspector Maigret (Pierre Renoir, brother of Jean, son of Pierre-Auguste) looks around as to who could have done it, leading him to a one-eyed Dutchman Carl (Georges Koudria) and his 'sister' Else (Winna Winifried).  As a detective story it's got a ton of dark atmosphere but is still fairly choppy and hard to follow - allegedly, Georges Simenon said Jean was so distraught over his failed first marriage to Catherine Hessling he "neglected" to film the missing scenes ... although Simenon also said he slept with over 10,000 women so take that statement for what it's worth.  The true strength of it is in the performances: Pierre is very perceptive and no-nonsense in the lead (like many non-psychotic cops that I've met) and seventeen-year-old Winifried is magnetic as the femme fatale who is always up to no good (it's a shame she was only in a handful of movies) - how many teenagers do you know that have been married twice?