Another set of The Edgar Wallace Mysteries helps to pass the day. Volume 5 has another 7 short crime films, all but one are based on an Edgar Wallace novel or story. All but the last film were made in 1963 by Anglo Amalgamated at Merton Park Studios. When the series went to TV syndication the distributors added similar films to pad out the Merton Park series 0f 47 films. The films were edited to about 47 minutes, most ran an hour, but the films here are original running times.
Ricochet 1963 Based on the 1922 novel The Angel Of Terror or The Destroying Angel, screenplay by Roger Marshall, direction by John Llewellyn Moxey. A scummy solicitor sets up a blackmail scheme on his own wife. She's got heaps of cash and he has so little. Richard Leech plays the hubby, Maxine Audley plays the wife, Alex Scott plays the wife's boyfriend, Patrick Magee plays the police Inspector who trips them up. A cold and efficient guy. A really entertaining film with everything going for it. Looks good, the story moves along well, the characters get what they deserve. One of the better films in the series and one I'd want to see over again.
The Double 1963 Based on a 1928 novel, screenplay by Lindsay Galloway and John Roddick, direction by Lionel Harris. A man has amnesia from a vicious attack that left him for dead and put him in a wheelchair. He struggles to remember what happened and who the attacker was. Fairly entertaining but only about average for me. I'd still re-watch it.
The Rivals 1963 Based on a 1928 short story, screenplay by John Roddick, direction by Max Varnel. Two stupid crooks steal a car from some kidnappers and decide to try to steal the kidnapper's ransom. Sadly, they aren't the brightest boys and things don't so well. A nice script, entertaining characters, some action and a brisk pace. Above average.
To Have And To Hold 1963 Based on the 1918 story The Breaking Point, screenplay by Jimmy Sangster writing under the name John Sansom, direction by Herbert Wise. Jimmy is better known for all his Hammer work. This was Herbert's first feature, he'd been working in TV for 6 years at that point. A police detective falls for a woman, then she's murdered. William Hartnell plays a different Police Inspector, he's looking into the murder. There's a bit of a twist at the end. Better than average, some good double crossing and a bit of action. I'd want to see it again.
The Partner 1963 Based on the 1926 novel A Million Dollar Story, screenplay by John Roddick, direction by Gerald Glaister. Yôko Tani plays an actress in the middle of a producers plan, he's shuffling money about to avoid the tax. It's enough money, £300,000, to attract murderers. Ewan Roberts is Inspector Simons, he was pretty entertaining. The movie was alright, not quite as good as the couple before but it kept me interested to the end. I'd see it again someday.
Accidental Death 1963 Based on the 1920 novel Jack O'Judgement, that story was also adapted as an earlier film in the series called The Share Out. This movie has a screenplay by Arthur La Bern, direction by Geoffrey Nethercott. An ex-Nazi collaborator is confronted by a man come to kill him. The man wants revenge for the death of his wife. Things go downhill from there. It was worth a look.
Five To One 1963 Based on the 1928 novel The Thief In The Night, screenplay by Roger Marshall, direction by Gordon Flemyng. John Thaw plays a creep of a crook, he robs a bookmaker and money launderer. Trouble is the character is as stupid as he is vicious. Everything goes to shit for him, his girlfriend and his accomplices. Nice tight story and plenty of punishment. I liked it.
The Man In The Back Seat 1961 Original screenplay by Malcolm Hulke and Eric Pace, direction by Vernon Sewell. This is one of the films made by an independent film company that got added to the film set when syndicated. It's the best film on the disc and one of the best in the set. Malcolm and Eric wrote The Pathfinders series for the BBC just before this movie, I watched them not too long ago and enjoyed them. Malcolm also wrote a good bit for Doctor Who and The Avengers.
Derrin Nesbitt is a crook, that's him on the right, you've seen him play that sort of guy on plenty of TV shows and movies. That's Carol White beside him, she plays the wife of the guy way in the back. She's really mad that her husband is hanging around with Derrin, let alone robbing some bloke, she should have left him long ago. Hubby's played by Keith Faulkner, he helps Derrin rob a dog track owner of a few hundred pounds. The guy slumped in the seat is the dog guy and he's played by Harry Locke. They coshed him up pretty good, he might be dying, and the track money is in a suitcase chained to his wrist. These guys can't think straight, they have no tools, they have no skills, they spend the night trying their hardest to get past this hurdle but it defeats them in the end.
Most of the movie takes place in a car and as the life drains out of the dog track owner the tension in the car mounts. One bad bit of bad luck after another stops the boys in their tracks and aims them down another road to ruin. Bad luck dogs them to the end of the movie. I really enjoyed their pain. Well worth a look.
One of the better sets of the 7 so far. Only two more sets to go.
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