Hour of Decision (film)
| Hour of Decision | |
|---|---|
.png) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | C. M. Pennington-Richards |
| Written by | Norman Hudis |
| Based on | Murder in Mayfair by Frederic Goldsmith |
| Produced by | Monty Berman |
| Starring | Jeff Morrow Hazel Court Anthony Dawson |
| Cinematography | Stanley Pavey |
| Edited by | Douglas Myers |
| Music by | Stanley Black |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Eros Films Astor Pictures (US) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 81 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Hour of Decision is a 1957 British mystery film directed by C. M. Pennington-Richards and starring Jeff Morrow, Hazel Court and Anthony Dawson.[1] It was written by Norman Hudis based on the 1954 novel Murder in Mayfair by Frederic Goldsmith.
Plot
[edit]The British wife of an American journalist begins receiving letters blackmailing her over a love affair. Suspicion points to her when the blackmailer is found murdered.
Cast
[edit]- Jeff Morrow as Joe Saunders
- Hazel Court as Margaret Saunders / Peggy
- Anthony Dawson as Gary Bax
- Mary Laura Wood as Olive Bax
- Alan Gifford as J. Foster Green
- Carl Bernard as Inspector Gower
- Lionel Jeffries as Albert Mayne
- Anthony Snell as Andrew Crest
- Vanda Godsell as Eileen Chadwick
- Robert Sansom as Reece Chadwick
- Garard Green as Tony Pendleton
- Marne Maitland as club waiter
- Arthur Lowe as calligraphy expert
- Margaret Allworthy as Denise March
- Richard Shaw as Detective Sergeant Dale
- Frank Atkinson as caretaker
- Michael Balfour as barman
- Reginald Hearne as Personnel Manager
- Dennis Chinnery as studio photographer
Production
[edit]The film was shot at Walton Studios with location shooting around London. The film's sets were designed by the art director Arthur Lawson.
Critical response
[edit]Monthly Film Bulletin said: "A hackneyed and lethargically told murder mystery, with a solution more dependent on coincidence than logic. Lionel Jeffries' assured performance as a jaded nightclub proprietor provides the film's most satisfying scenes."[2]
Kine Weekly wrote: "Ingenious and holding who-dunnit. ... The red herrings are neatly manipulated by a competent cast and resourceful director against appropriate London backgrounds, and the twist ending is theatrically effective."[3]
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Too-leaisurely whodunnit at least hides its villain well."[4]
Leslie Halliwell said: "A familiar type of second feature whodunit, with little about it to spark enthusiasm."[5]
References
[edit]- ^ "Hour of Decision". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Hour of Decision". Monthly Film Bulletin. 24 (276): 72. 1957 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Hour of Decision". Kine Weekly. 480 (2593): 18. 25 April 1957 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 324. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.
- ^ Halliwell, Leslie (1989). Halliwell's Film Guide (7th ed.). London: Paladin. p. 483. ISBN 0586088946.
External links
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- 1957 films
- British mystery films
- British detective films
- Films set in London
- Films with screenplays by Norman Hudis
- Films directed by C. M. Pennington-Richards
- Films shot at Nettlefold Studios
- 1950s English-language films
- 1950s British films
- Films scored by Stanley Black
- 1950s British film stubs
- Mystery film stubs