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Three Cases of Murder

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Three Cases of Murder
Theatrical poster
Directed byDavid Eady
George More O'Ferrall
Wendy Toye
Orson Welles (uncredited)
Written bySidney Carroll
Ian Dalrymple
Donald B. Wilson
Produced byIan Dalrymple
Alexander Paal
StarringAlan Badel
Orson Welles
John Gregson
André Morell
CinematographyGeorges Périnal
Edited byGerald Turney-Smith
Music byDoreen Carwithen
Production
company
Wessex Film Productions
Distributed byLondon Films
Release dates
  • 15 March 1955 (1955-03-15) (US)
  • May 1955 (1955-05) (UK)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£250,000[1]

Three Cases of Murder is a 1955 British horror omnibus film comprising three stories: "In The Picture," "You Killed Elizabeth," and "Lord Mountdrago." Eamonn Andrews introduces each. Alan Badel appears in all three.[2]

Cast

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Main cast

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Supporting cast

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  • Peter Burton as Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs (segment "Lord Mountdrago")
  • Philip Dale as Sgt. Mallot (segment "You Killed Elizabeth")
  • Christina Forrest as Susan (segment "You Killed Elizabeth")
  • Evelyn Hall as Lady Connemara (segment "Lord Mountdrago")
  • Ann Hanslip as The Girl (segment "In the Picture")
  • David Horne as Sir James (segment "Lord Mountdrago")
  • John Humphry as Private Secretary (segment "Lord Mountdrago")
  • Maurice Kaufmann as Pemberton (segment "You Killed Elizabeth")
  • Jack Lambert as Inspector Acheson ("You Killed Elizabeth" segment)
  • Zena Marshall as Beautiful Blonde (segment "Lord Mountdrago")
  • John Salew as Rooke ("In the Picture" segment)
  • Harry Welchman as Connoisseur (segment "In the Picture")
  • Colette Wilde as Jane (segment "You Killed Elizabeth")
  • Arthur Wontner as Leader of the House (segment "Lord Mountdrago")

Uncredited/cameo cast

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Production

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The first and third stories deal with the supernatural. In the first, "In the Picture", a museum worker enters one of the pictures in a gallery, enticed by a mysterious man who turns out to be the picture's painter. In the second, "You Killed Elizabeth", a man falls in love with a woman, only to lose her to his friend; she dies, but which one killed her? In the third, "Lord Mountdrago", a dramatization of a short story by W. Somerset Maugham from his collection The Mixture as Before, a politician seeks revenge on the political opponent who humiliated him, by entering his dreams.

Wendy Toye directed "In the Picture"; David Eady, "You Killed Elizabeth"; and George More O'Ferrall, "Lord Mountdrago."[3]

Orson Welles received top billing, but he appears only in "Lord Mountdrago". According to Patrick Macnee, who had a supporting role, Welles began making suggestions to director George More O'Ferrall throughout the first day of filming, and by the third day he had taken over the direction of the entire segment.[4]

Reception

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The presence of Orson Welles in the cast meant the film was released in the US before the UK.[2] The film was turned down for exhibition in the UK by both the Rank and Associated British chains.[1] They claimed that the film was mediocre and that Welles was not a big enough box office draw to compensate for this.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Orson Welles film rejected". The Sun. No. 13, 890. New South Wales, Australia. 19 August 1954. p. 55 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved 1 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ a b John Hamilton, The British Independent Horror Film 1951-70 Hemlock Books 2013 p 24-27
  3. ^ The Times, "Three Cases Of Murder" Film Short Stories 16 May 1955
  4. ^ Patrick Macnee, Blind in One Ear (London, 1988)
  5. ^ ""Wonder Boy" Welles". The Newcastle Sun. No. 11, 277. New South Wales, Australia. 19 August 1954. p. 27. Retrieved 1 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
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