Cecile Est Morte (aka Cecile Is Dead) (1944)

A young woman (Santa Relli) by the name of Cecile keeps coming to her local police station to see the renowned Inspector Maigret (Albert Prejean) for trivial reasons which causes annoyance  to the Inspector and relentless kidding from his colleagues. But the discovery of a decapitated young blonde leads the Inspector back to Cecile, who is at the center of the grisly murder. Based on the novel by Georges Simenon and directed by Maurice Tourneur (LAST OF THE MOHICANS), father of Jacques Tourneur. Laced with humor, this is a complex and clever murder mystery that should more than satisfy fans of the genre. Albert Prejean had played Maigret the year before in PICPUS and he continues to bring a pleasantly acerbic presence to the character. Also returning is Andre Gabriello as his always hungry sidekick providing much of the movie's humor. With Germaine Kerjean, Luce Fabiole, Liliane Maigne, Jean Brochard and Andre Reybaz.