Max (Le crime de Noël)

In the Le crime de Noël episode of TV series Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie, Max is a friend of Madame Hautin, the director and matron of the Orphelinat Sainte-Cécile. He is a harsh and abusive man and Madame Hautin relies on him to impose discipline by whipping the children with his leather belt. The children are terrified of him. Even Alice Avril, who enters the orphanage to work undercover as a teacher becomes frightened of him. When he discovers Alice in the children's dormitory, for example, he manhandles and drags her out on the grounds that she is not allowed in there.

Investigations by commissaire Laurence reveal that he is an ex-student of Madame Hautin and now has become her lover. He also has a past record of assault and battery. When Laurence challenges him about his abusive behaviour at the orphanage, he arrogantly responds that no one would dare to complain and bluntly asks Alice if she has found her tongue. Alice, however steels herself and denounces him. His attitude makes him a prime suspect for the murder of Hubert Dopagne and he is framed for it at one point, because a gun had been found in Gaston Vernet's room and Bouboule was put up to claim that he saw Max sneak into the room. Laurence clears him in the end of the murder but nonetheless he promises Alice that he would personally see that neither Max nor Madame Hautin would ever get near an orphanage again. Max is portrayed by Franck Andrieux.