Previous post about Joseph Losey and the film M Klein: A behind-the-scenes introduction to M Klein

The use of Paris locations in the shooting of Joseph Losey’s M Klein

Location shooting is always a hassle. Some locations, like the abandoned factory or iconic city park, are well known and repeatedly used by films. But often film locations hide under the surface of everyday life, requiring intimate knowledge of the city to pull them out. Joseph Losey never lived in Paris but was determined to use locations in the filming of M Klein, eschewing the safe confines of the film studio for the realism of the buildings and streets of Paris. Finding those locations rested on the shoulders of the Art Director, Alexandre Trauner. Trauner presented Losey with potential locations and if Losey approved the responsibility of permitting and other business arrangements were handled by the production company.

Though he experienced push-back from the production company related to the increased cost and logistical complexity, Losey prevailed, using thirty two locations for the shooting in M Klein. These locations admittedly increased production headaches but added greater realism to the film. Location shooting also kept everyone sharp since each day would throw unpredictable challenges at the crew, most of whom were experienced professionals who liked rising to the challenge.

The second Klein’s apartment was a good example. The location was at 42 rue des Panoyaux and has long since been replaced by apartment buildings. The exterior courtyard was used for the scene (“Concierge loge”) where the French Klein is looking for his double and he questions the concierge. The same location is used immediately afterwards in the film for the interior shots where the concierge allows the French Klein to inspect the Jewish Klein’s abandoned apartment. There was something sublimely ironic about famous movie stars and a well-known director having to work in filthy spaces only the poorest people would know.

As an illustration of location challenges, even arranging for the use of this building was complicated. The production company had to negotiate a shooting permit from the city government and a condition attached to the permit required extensive shoring of the building before the film crew would be let in, so there were significant costs in engineering and construction. Once everyone had jumped through the hoops, the actual filming required a complicated location setup. There was staff outside on the street managing the crowd of people who gathered hoping to catch a glimpse of Alain Delon, generator trucks with long cables supplying power, and intricate lighting setups because of cramped quarters. The camera crew didn’t have room to assemble their gear so that had to be done down the street at another address.

Then the snow started. It hardly ever snows in Paris, but nature chose that morning. There was nothing to do other than protect the equipment and reschedule.

Another location which, atypically, wasn’t in Paris but didn’t work out smoothly either was in Strasbourg and was used for the shots along the canal. On arrival in Strasbourg Losey had a serious asthma attack and was not well, adding to the stress.

The location along the canal had been scouted in advance, but someone overlooked that tracking shots were called for. The underfoot surfaces were rough – brick cobblestones and a wooden walkway – making any movement of the camera a challenge, much less the fluid moves Losey expected.

This was a serious problem because the clock was ticking – it had already cost a lot to move the whole production to Strasbourg and the shots needed to go off according the schedule. Everyone was under the gun. The machinists rigged up a hastily modified soft-tired Citroën Deux Chevaux with the Panavision camera on a tripod, tightly lashed to its floor. This whole rig was pushed by human-power but only after the bricks were wiped with sand to smooth them out a bit (which introduced its own problems).

It was also problematic that Klein’s father was in a wheelchair and at the beginning of the shot his caretaker had to push him while he spoke, with Robert Klein taking over partway through. In the resulting shot it’s obvious that sand has been spread around (it looks out of place) and there are a lot of wobbles in the movement of the wheelchair (and the car-mounted camera). Luckily, the actor playing the caretaker and then Delon, after he took over, were strong enough to get a marginally acceptable result.

In the next shot (on the problematic wooden walkway) the Deux Chevaux was used for the establishing shot with Klein’s body screening view of the sand that had been spread to even the walkway. The next shot, a side closeup, is a long tracking (rail) shot. Again, Delon had the challenge of pushing his father on slats that had been leveled as much as possible with sand, trying to power through and disguise the problem. A true professional, Delon was strong enough to concentrate on his role without appearing the least bit rattled.

Each location had its problems, some less than others but some more too. The complicated and costly stadium scene at the end of the film was so difficult that the filming broke down towards the end of the day, and the editor had to work to salvage what he could. But overall the use of locations did a lot to make M Klein echo the time and events it was portraying, and to enhance and reinforce the reputation of the film.

Other posts in this series about M Klein: Joseph Losey’s film M Klein: A behind-the-scenes look

Locations arranged by date

Name of scene	Location	Address	Filming date
Titles
Cabinet du professeur Montandon et Salle d'attente & couloirs	Hôpital Cousin de Mericourt & Besson	15, av Cousin de Méricourt 242230 Cachan	1-Dec-75
Chambre/Salle de bains	Studios de Boulogne	2, rue de Silly, Boulogne (Plateau A)	3-Dec-75
Appartement Robert Klein	Studios de Boulogne	2, rue de Silly, Boulogne (Plateau A)	4-Dec-75
Appartement Robert Klein - Chambre	Studios de Boulogne	2, rue de Silly, Boulogne (Plateau A)	5-Dec-75
Appartement Robert Klein - Rez-de-chaussee	Studios de Boulogne	2, rue de Silly, Boulogne (Plateau A)	5-Dec-75
Repetition du spectacle Frantz Salieri	Studio Constant	13, boulevard de Clichy	6-Dec-75
Repetition du spectacle Frantz Salieri	Studio Constant	13, boulevard de Clichy	8-Dec-75
Salle des ventes	Hotel Intercontinental	3, rue de Castilglione	8-Dec-75
Boite de nuite	Cabaret: "La Nouvelle Eve"	25, rue Fontaine	9-Dec-75
Boite de nuite	Cabaret: "La Nouvelle Eve"	25, rue Fontaine	10-Dec-75
Coulisses theatre	Coulisses Theatre	25, rue Fontaine	11-Dec-75
Administration du journal	Imprimerie C.I.B.	7, rue Darboy 75001	12-Dec-75
Rue de Paris, vers 2éme Klein	Rue de Paris	Rue Gasnier Guy	12-Dec-75
Rue de Paris minutage	Rue de Paris	Rue Lepic (à l'angle de la rue de Lorient)	15-Dec-75
Bistrot Telephone	Café "Au Réveil Matin"	23 rue Chanzy	15-Dec-75
Appartement Robert Klein	Studios de Boulogne	2, rue de Silly, Boulogne (Plateau A)	16-Dec-75
Photographe	Studios de Boulogne	2, rue de Silly, Boulogne (Plateau A)	16-Dec-75
Façade maison 2ème Klein	Façade Maison 2ème Klein	42 rue des Panoyaux	17-Dec-75
Loge Concierge	Loge Concierge	42 rue des Panoyaux	17-Dec-75
Maison 2ème Klein	Maison 2ème Klein	42 rue des Panoyaux	18-Dec-75
Maison 2ème Klein	Maison 2ème Klein	42 rue des Panoyaux	18-Dec-75
Rue maison 2ème Klein	Maison 2ème Klein	42 rue des Panoyaux	19-Dec-75
Cour & loge maison 2ème Klein	Cour & loge maison 2ème Klein	42 rue des Panoyaux	19-Dec-75
Appartement 2ème Robert Klein	Appartement 2ème Klein	42 rue des Panoyaux	19-Dec-75
Lycée Henri IV	Lycée Henri IV	23 rue Clovis	22-Dec-75
Rue immeuble 2ème Klein	Rue immeuble 2ème Klein	42, rue des Panoyaux	22-Dec-75
Cour maison Robert Klein	Rue du Bac	110 rue du Bac	23-Dec-75
Cour maison Robert Klein	Rue du Bac	110 rue du Bac	23-Dec-75
Cour maison Robert Klein	Rue du Bac	110 rue du Bac	23-Dec-75
Cour maison Robert Klein	Rue du Bac	110 rue du Bac	23-Dec-75
Cour maison Robert Klein	Rue du Bac	110 rue du Bac	24-Dec-75
Cour maison Robert Klein	Rue du Bac	110 rue du Bac	24-Dec-75
Appartement Robert Klein	Studios de Boulogne	42 rue des Panoyaux	29-Dec-75
Appartement Robert Klein	Studios de Boulogne	42 rue des Panoyaux	30-Dec-75
Appartement Robert Klein	Studios de Boulogne	42 rue des Panoyaux	30-Dec-75
Appartement Robert Klein	Studios de Boulogne	42 rue des Panoyaux	31-Dec-75
Appartement Robert Klein	Studios de Boulogne	42 rue des Panoyaux	31-Dec-75
Appartement Robert Klein	Studios de Boulogne	42 rue des Panoyaux	5-Jan-76
Appartement Robert Klein	Studios de Boulogne	43 rue des Panoyaux	5-Jan-76
Appartement Robert Klein	Studios de Boulogne	44 rue des Panoyaux	5-Jan-76
Appartement Robert Klein	Studios de Boulogne	45 rue des Panoyaux	5-Jan-76
Appartement Robert Klein	Studios de Boulogne	45 rue des Panoyaux	6-Jan-76
Prefecture, salle de reunion	Studios de Boulogne	45 rue des Panoyaux	6-Jan-76
Bureau Fonctionnaire	Studios de Boulogne	45 rue des Panoyaux	6-Jan-76
Répétition séquence Usine stage C	Studios de Boulogne	46 rue des Panoyaux	7-Jan-76
Boulevard Minutage (Exterieur)		Pont St-Louis, angle quai d'Orlean	7-Jan-76
Prefecture-Tri Stage A	Studios de Boulogne	42 rue des Panoyaux	7-Jan-76
Usine	Usine Citroën	Angle Quai André Citroën et rue Leblanc	8-Jan-76
Depot	Caserne des pompiers	1, Place Jules Renard	9-Jan-76
Metro	Metro	1, Place Balard	9-Jan-76
La Coupole	La Coupole	102, bld du Montparnasse	12-Jan-76
Appartement Robert Klein	Studios de Boulogne	42, rue des Panoyaux	13-Jan-76
Morgue Stage C	Studios de Boulogne	42, rue des Panoyaux	13-Jan-76
Retake "Tapisserie"	Studios de Boulogne	42, rue des Panoyaux	13-Jan-76
Eglise	Eglise Saint-Eustache	Angle rue Montmartre et rue Coquillère	14-Jan-75
	Journee de voyage Paris/Strasboug		15-Jan-76
Jardin Public	Strasbourg	Le Bord de L'Ill (Place Benjamin Zix)	16-Jan-76
Gare Ivry la Bataille	Gare de Mortcerf 77220		19-Jan-75
Quai gare	Gare D'Austerlitz	Quai gare	20-Jan-76
Train en marche	Gare D'Austerlitz	Voie 21 Gare D'Austerlitz	21-Jan-76
	No call sheet, shooting cancelled		22-Jan-76
Police car depot		Grand Palais	22-Jan-76
Maison Pierre	Rue St-Dominique	c/o M Netter, 11 bis, rue St-Dominique	23-Jan-76
Kiosque	Rue du Bac	110 rue du Bac	26-Jan-76
Morgue Stage A	Studios de Boulogne	42 rue des Panoyaux	26-Jan-76
Scouting Château d'Esclimont	Château		26-Jan-76
Stade	"La Cipale" (Vélodrome Municipal de Vincennes)	Avenue de Gravelle Paris 12	28-Jan-76
Stade	"La Cipale" (Vélodrome Municipal de Vincennes)	Avenue de Gravelle Paris 12	29-Jan-76
Minutage		Place Lucien Herr 5ème	30-Jan-76
Int. autobus en marche	Autobus	68, rue Coriolis (12ème)	30-Jan-76
Eventuellement, décor: Retakes tapisserie	Studios de Boulogne	42, rue des Panoyaux	30-Jan-76
Wagons fin de film	Gabriel Lamé	1 rue Gabriel Lamé	31-Jan-76