death_date death_place years_active birth_place other_names image_size name birth_date spouse image article_title birth_name occupation
23 december 1990 paris , france 1929 -- 1985 brussels , belgium dave young 150 pierre chenal december 5 , 1904 florence marly -lrb- 1937 -- 1955 -rrb- pierre_chenal . jpg pierre chenal
 pierre cohen director , screenwriter
pierre chenal

pierre chenal -lrb- december 5 , 1904 -- december 23 , 1990 -rrb- was a french director and screenwriter who flourished in the 1930s , and was best known for film noir thrillers such as the 1937 film `` l'alibi '' , where he worked with erich von stroheim and louis jouvet .
in 1939 he made `` le dernier tournant '' , the first of many film treatments of james m. cain 's celebrated novel , `` the postman always rings twice '' .
chenal was jewish and was forced to flee occupied france for south america in 1942 .
he made a number of films while living in argentina and more in france after the war ; but his post-war work never achieved the success and popularity of his pre-war efforts .
