I am searching for a black & white film with English subtitles I saw
as a preteen on the campus of the University of South Dakota in the
early 1970's. I viewed it at about the same time I saw Jean Cocteau's
"Beauty and the Beast", of which I have since viewed and enjoyed
several times. Now the film I am looking for is about a man who gets
in a automobile accident, enters a building to sign a registar, and
next is sitting outside a small shop(pastry?)watching others pass
through the shop who are in the same dilemma. The man is dead but
doesn't know it until he realizes he can only communicate with those
who are also dead. The living are oblivious to the dead walking
amongst them. All the dead people are dressed badly i.e. just come
from their deaths. The rest of the movie deals with the man wanting to
return to the living and to his wife which I think he does because I
remember him laying next to the tire of an automobile near the end of
the picture. I've searched numerous resources for this film. I assumed
it was French but now I'm not so sure. It is not Jean Cocteau's 1950
film, "Orpheus" which has similar themes.

---

Request for Question Clarification by majortom-ga on 24 May 2003 13:03 PDT

While I am interested in researching this question, I am
unable to find an answer so far. I may be able to find it
if  you can recall some details, such as what language
it was in, whether it was color or B&W, what actors appeared,
and whether it was new when you saw it "in the early 1970's."
Also, what does "I am searching for" mean in this case? Do you
want to purchase a video? Obtain a film print? Or just learn
the information of what the title and director are?

Thanks for the opportunity to research this interesting question.

---

Clarification of Question by zefflin-ga on 24 May 2003 15:23 PDT

I believe it is French. Made in the late 40's or early 50's. Black and
white. I don't know any of the actors,director, etc. I would like to
purchase a copy of it either in VHS or DVD. I have  alwaysbelieved it
was one of those post- World War Two existentialism films made in
Europe but especially in France.