Scotland Yard sends a handwriting expert to a country house full of people with guilty secrets in order to solve a murder.Scotland Yard sends a handwriting expert to a country house full of people with guilty secrets in order to solve a murder.Scotland Yard sends a handwriting expert to a country house full of people with guilty secrets in order to solve a murder.
Charles Barrett
- Undetermined Role
- (uncredited)
Graham Cheswright
- Jury Foreman
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis film's earliest documented USA telecast took place in New York City Friday 26 August 1949 on WPIX (Channel 11). Since it had never previously been shown on this side of the Atlantic, either theatrically or otherwise, this was also its USA premiere. It first aired in Cincinnati Wednesday 21 December 1949 on WKRC (Channel 11).
Featured review
Talky, Static and Standard Mystery Tropes
Is everyone, like me, used to seeing Wilfred Hyde-White as a white-haired, aristocratic gentleman, usually in some sort of government job in comedy? If so, you'll be surprised to see him in a serious role as a dark-haired author of true-crime and mystery books in this movie.
A maniac who sends warning letters to his victims and then strangles them with a rope is found guilty and hanged. Some time later, some one else does the same thing. The trial's judge, Philip Hewland, is threatened. Of course, this means he must hold a dinner party, during which there are sinister goings-on.
Director George Pearson had a long history in British movies, going back to 1913 as a writer and director for Pathe. Since the coming of sound, he had been relegated to cheap quota quickies. This, alas, is one of them, using all the standard tropes of British mysteries. It's also very talky, with only a few quick visual glosses, none of them offered in an interesting fashion. His screen credits would end with three or four more films over the next three years, then silence, except for a TV interview. He would die in 1973.
A maniac who sends warning letters to his victims and then strangles them with a rope is found guilty and hanged. Some time later, some one else does the same thing. The trial's judge, Philip Hewland, is threatened. Of course, this means he must hold a dinner party, during which there are sinister goings-on.
Director George Pearson had a long history in British movies, going back to 1913 as a writer and director for Pathe. Since the coming of sound, he had been relegated to cheap quota quickies. This, alas, is one of them, using all the standard tropes of British mysteries. It's also very talky, with only a few quick visual glosses, none of them offered in an interesting fashion. His screen credits would end with three or four more films over the next three years, then silence, except for a TV interview. He would die in 1973.
helpful•20
- boblipton
- Sep 6, 2017
Details
- Runtime1 hour 4 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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