This whodunit was originally marketed as an “Edgar Wallace mystery thriller” but in fact was an original screenplay by Fedora favourite, George Baxt. We begin in ultra traditional fashion with a woman in a nightgown being pursued in a park at night by persons unknown. In a nice reversal we realise that one of the persons is a uniformed policeman, who eventually finds the woman’s body and a man kneeling next to her. He was her lover and the two had just fought – but is he the strangler?
This review is offered for Todd Mason’s Tuesday’s Overlooked Film meme over at Sweet Freedom.
Vichelski: “She runs a Soho club, one of those French places where they plays records”
Preston: “Oh, a discotheque”
Directed with his usual verve by John Llewellyn Moxey, with lots of handheld cameras and smart handling of subjective flashbacks in which we hear the narrator but otherwise see the action play out silently, this is an economical mystery that finds lots of good ways to vary the formula without straying too far from convention. Baxt was always a writer with humour uppermost in his mind and this is well in evidence with his choice of hero.
Despite the presence of a dashing Scotland Yard Inspector played by Gerald Harper, the real protagonist is down and out solicitor Lewis Preston (pudgy and balding but “pretty-eyed” John Stratton), who we first meet surfacing after a three-day bender from which he can’t remember anything, including striking his long-suffering wife. He is immediately sorry but she has had enough understandably and walks out.
“Michael drives an E-type. He’s a model. Not sure what of …”
His client is John Vichelski (the great character actor Michael Balfour), who is accused of killing his partner Norma Brent (Patricia Burke) on Hampstead Heath after getting into a drunken argument with her. It turns out she had been having an affair with Amos, a chartered accountant (Maurice Hedley), claiming that she was due to come in to a large ‘inheritance.’ She had got the accountant to run up bills in the name of the once celebrated matinée idol Jackson Delacorte (Griffith Jones), an old lover who has been a recluse ever since being badly scarred in a car accident decades earlier. He now lives in a lovely old house with no one for company except his faithful and fiercely protective niece (Pauline Munro). Preston is trying to get his client off and get back a measure of self-respect and uncovers a tangled family scenario going back decades, all leading to a surprise confession that proves to be false and a logical is still mildly surprising choice of murderer.
At 55 minutes the film never outstays its welcome and there are plenty of amusing moments, such as the top speed car trip to Brighton with the bizarrely named Nell Pretty, played with charm to spare by Pauline Boty, the celebrated painter and founder of the British Pop Art movement. Here she more or less plays herself as a Bohemian free spirit who takes an unlikely liking to Preston. Boty’s presence lends this films tremendous interest, especially in retrospect given how tragically her life ended the following year when she was only 28 after having refused chemotherapy to treat her cancer for fear of losing the baby the was carrying. She is a lively presence that really gives the film spark – the plot is perfectly solid and the presentation above average for a medium-budget B-movie, but it’s her humorous scenes with John Stratton that really stick in your mind. This movie is now easy to get in a technically superior edition – well worth it.
DVD Availability: Network have released all of the Edgar Wallace Mysteries produced by Anglo Amalgamated on DVD across seven box sets, with an omnibus 21-disc box set also available. The technical quality is superb throughout, with all titles accurately presented in anamorphic widescreen. This film appears on the seventh and final volume, which includes: The Main Chance; Game for Three Losers; Change Partners; Strangler’s Web; Dead Man’s Chest; and the non-Wallace release, Seven Keys. Extras include liner notes by Kim Newman and stills galleries.
For my overview of the Edgar Wallace films made in this series between 1960 and 1965, visit my dedicated microsite.
Strangler’s Web (1965)
Director: John Llewellyn Moxey
Producer: Jack Greenwood
Screenplay: George Baxt
Cinematography: James Wilson
Art Direction: Stan Shelton
Music: Bernard Ebbinghouse (theme music: Michael Carr)
Cast: John Stratton, Gerald Harper, Pauline Munro, Griffith Jones, Patricia Burke, Michael Balfour, Pauline Boty, Maurice Hedley
Tipping My Fedora 
I’m going through these in order so I’ve still to see this one – I just recently finished off Vol 4 and enjoyed another Moxey entry, The £20,000 Kiss, which has a terrific cast including Dawn Addams, Michael Goodliffe & Alfred Burke.
The bonus film on that volume, House of Mystery, is a great slice of creepiness fromm Vernon Sewell.
I skipped ahead just bacause I was in a Baxt mood 🙂 In fact, I havent got to volume 4 yet, sounds really fab. I wasn’t too impresed with Urge to Kill, the Sewell entry on volume 1, so glad this one works better!
There are a few duds on each volume, which isn’t surprising really. Overall, they’re a lot of fun and the short running times means that even the duller ones don’t hang around too long.
And the fact that they are all basically one-offs means they can go anywhere (though usually they don’t stray too far from the norm, let’ sbe honest)
Yes, the plots are generally familiar stuff but they’re zippy and well done for the most part. And there’s always a familiar face (or two) in the cast.
It’s a bit of a shame that only a few are faithful to the original stories, but it’s a pretty minor caveat in a series that while modestly produced genrrally provides top notch entertainment in my view. Really enjoyed watching this after a rather long gap – now to go back in the series, somehwre in collection 3 I think …
Some good ‘uns in Vol 3, which I finished off not that long ago. I liked Time to Remember, Solo for Sparrow (with Michael in a small part playing “Oirish”)& Playback. The bonus film, Breakout with Lee Patterson, is pretty enjoyable too.
Must admit, Sparrow is the one I am really looking forward to 🙂 Have you got the McFarlane and Chibnall book on British B Movies? It’s really, really good
No, I never got that, although it has been on my radar for some time. Good to hear you rate it.
Not too expensive and full of great stuff, including their pick of the best of British Bs, most of which I have come to really agree with (well, the ones I have managed to find).
It’s been in my Amazon cart for ages now – I will indulge at some point.
Very cheap fromt he piublishers at the mo … Just saying 🙂
Certainly is! And the money goes direct to the publishers too. Good spot.
🙂
This sounds like fun. I like the length especially. Maybe someday we can try some of them. We have so many unwatched DVDs and Blu-rays we will never catch up.
These Wallace adaptatitons are my idea of perfect movie relaxation, must admit – hour running, great black and white cinematography in widescreen, great casts – poifect!
This one does sound like a solid little film, Sergio. I’m drawn to the character study, and I like the fact that the film’s not overblown. That’s not easy to pull off. Thanks, as ever 🙂
Thnaks Margot – it is a modest production, but has many points of intesrest, especially the presence Pauline Boty, who is really great here. Hers is such a sad story.
Like the sound of this a lot, certainly with all its period charm – shall look out for it! 🙂
Well worth 60 minutes of your time Karen 🙂
Not only haven’t I seen the film, I recognize none of the actors. Do we live in different worlds?
Yeah, but that’s what makes it all so worthwhile, right? 🙂
HA! I’m with Patti. I often think we live in different worlds, Sergio. But you’re right, of course, it’s what makes everything worthwhile. I’m not buying dvds at the moment, but maybe in future. I’m a fan of George Baxt’s Pharaoh Love series and so I’d be interested in seeing this film because his name popped up in your review. You know so much esoteric stuff, Sergio. Everyone used to call me the Queen of the Esoteric, but you are definitely the King. Not that that means we have a relationship going on, sweetie. 🙂
I don’t mind sharing the title Yvette – us royals have to stick together! 🙂 It’s a fun if pretty conventional movie, not a patch on the Love series though
Sergio, I’m going with Patti and Yvette. There’s a whole world of movies and actors, like this one, that I know little or nothing about. But it’s always nice and informative to read about them.
Thanks Prashant. I always hesitate a little with titles that I know few out there will have seen, but then that seems like a GOOD reason when at least it is available if anyone is really intrigued 🙂
I love it when I get to read a review of something I know absolutely NOTHING about, and it’s still interesting. I don’t know this film, the actors, or the director. (I guess my movie niches are pretty narrow.) Thanks for the education!
My very great pleasure Kelly 🙂