Indeed, if the script was taken from an unremarkable play, the film itself is similarly unremarkable. Bonus points for spotting Jack Hawkins in his cinema debut. It's only when Arthur's plucky nephew Jimmy (Frank Lawton) and his inquisitive girlfriend Mollie (Dorothy Boyd) begin their own investigation that they realise all isn't as it seems. The murder is perfectly arranged, making it look like suicide with even the local police believing this to be the case. It then transpires that Laverick (Warwick Ward) – a quiet man and keen birdwatcher, and Carter (Robert Loraine) – a loud, confident man – are the two men that Hilton locked up all those years ago (under different identities) and have been plotting their revenge ever since. Hilton later caught the men and was responsible for the hanging of one of them – though due to a discrepancy with evidence the other two escaped with 20-year terms in prison instead of the noose. ![]() He found himself caught by them first, but they didn't kill him as he didn't carry a gun – therefore they didn't believe he was a policeman and let him go. Aubrey Smith) tells his guests and family about a time he was working as a police commissioner in Africa, and was working to catch a gang of three men who'd been responsible for a number of local murders. While at a dinner at a large country house, the retired head of the family, Arthur Hilton (C. The suspense is then seeing if their "perfect alibi" is good enough to outwit the police and family of the murdered man. Things quickly slot into place when the murder itself is carried out, and we're treated to a Colombo-style killing where we witness the murderers and understand their motives. ![]() This works against the film, and the first thirty minutes are a confusing mess. At ninety minutes, the film has a slightly inflated running time considering most of the Ealing films released in the early 30s generally lasted between 60-70 minutes. ![]() Dean himself adapted the script for the big screen, and altered the name to Birds of Prey (it was retitled again for its US release the following year to the less ambiguous The Perfect Alibi). Milne, who would become internationally known for his Winnie-the-Pooh stories. The play itself was unremarkable, but for the fact that it was written by A.A. For his second feature at the newly established Associated Radio Pictures, filmed at Beaconsfield whilst the famous Ealing Studios were still under construction, Basil Dean turned to a crime play from 1928 - The Fourth Wall.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |