Having made films in both France and Argentina by now, Pierre Chenal traveled to Chile, and hired a crew and supporting cast with relatively few film credits, to direct the confusingly titled El ídolo (US: The Idol), a classic Latin American noir with an archetypal noir plot, including forbidden passion, a secret getaway, home invasion, accidental death, bloody murder, commitment to a mental hospital, suicide, private eyes, and a big reveal, leading to a final chase and fight to the death. It’s a highly satisfying film packed with classic noir elements, including a visual style emphasizing nighttime, the outdoors, and claustrophobic interiors, often by shooting at low angles. Spanish-born actor Alberto Closas, who would go on to star in Juan Antonio Bardem’s masterpiece Death of a Cyclist three years later, plays Jorge Arnaud, a Chilean film star married to the gorgeous Cristina (Florence Marly), whose sister Elena (Elisa Galvé) has always had a crush on Jorge. One night, after an argument, Cristina flees to the seaside accompanied by her friend and doctor, Enrique Bermúdez (Eduardo Naveda), who is smitten with her. Then she ends up dead. Bonding over their shared grief, Arnaud and Elena hire a private detective to find out how Cristina ended up bludgeoned by a sculpture on the floor of her hotel. Chenal uses extensive fadeouts and dissolves to move along the story, which has a few illogical plot shifts, while amping up the melodrama to satisfy Latin American audiences of the time. Special recognition should go to Acario Cotapos and his exceptional score, which beautifully enhances the tension of the film’s most thrilling moments.