Directed by René Clément, who wrote this with Daniel Boulanger, Sidney Buchman and Ring Lardner, Jr., The Deadly Trap is based on The Children are Gone by Arthur Cavanaugh.

Jill (Faye Dunaway) and her husband Philipe (Frank Langella) are Americans in Paris. Phillipe may just work in an office now, but he used to be in a spy group that wants one more mission. The lovely couple also is having issues, because Jill is losing her mind and thinks that Phillip is cheating on her. This isn’t helped when their neighbor Cynthia (Barbara Parkins) knows way too much. And oh yeah, she keeps blacking out, which nearly kills the kids in a car accident and then the little fellers suddenly go missing. The cops think the mom did it. Phillipe can’t reveal his past. And Jill keeps going bonkers.

Rex Reed said ”Rene Clement, the French Alfred Hitchcock, has sculptured a masterwork of suspense and human emotions that put sweat on my palms and kept it there.”

What movie did he see?

I kid, I kid. There are some effective moments here, particularly the car crash that sends kids and mother sailing into the street. But you have to wonder about a criminal or spy group that is dumb enough to just leave a gun out around some kids. Surely they know better. No, they don’t.

You can watch this on YouTube.