Maigret (1988 film)

Production

Arthur Weingarten was working unhappily on a TV adaptation of Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer stories when he started considering a different approach to a mystery series. His studio showed no interest, so he decided to acquire the rights to the character himself. Through his friendship with Graham Greene, Weingarten secured an introduction to Georges Simenon. He obtained the American rights but then spent five years securing rights in other countries to gain worldwide control of the character. He then pitched a Maigret series to every American network without success until CBS agreed, on the condition that he cast an international star. Richard Burton was the first choice and was enthusiastic, but two weeks before filming he withdrew to perform in Private Lives on Broadway. Alec Guinness was approached next but declined. Weingarten then spent a year negotiating with George C. Scott, but Scott eventually backed out, and CBS left the project. Columbia Pictures Television then stepped in, but Weingarten still needed an actor for Maigret. After watching A Man Called Horse one evening, he decided to approach Richard Harris. Though Harris did not physically resemble the character, he was a fan and welcomed the challenge. Additional funding came from HTV and Coca-Cola, raising the budget to $3 million. Filming took place on location in Paris and the West Country. The script drew from several of Simenon's original novels, and the setting was updated to the contemporary 1980s. The film was a critical failure, ending any chance of a television series. Three years later, fellow Irishman Michael Gambon took over the role for another ITV production, Maigret, which ran for twelve episodes.