Main Cast: Alan Badel, Hugh Pryse, John Salew, Leucen MacGrath, Eddie Byrne
Release Year: 1955
Country: UK
Run Time: 100 minutes
Plot
The British omnibus thriller, Three Cases of Murder includes two supernatural tales and a straight whodunit. The first segment, "The Picture," was directed by Wendy Toye, based on a short story by Roderick Wilkinson. A museum tour guide, Jarvis (Hugh Pryse), is plagued by artworks going missing, and by the mysterious repeated breaking of the protective glass over a gloomy landscape painting. Jarvis is fascinated by the dark, foreboding house in the painting. One day while he's admiring it, he bumps into a stranger (Alan Badel, who appears in all three segments). Jarvis ends up following the stranger into the world of the painting with terrifying consequences. Eddie Byrne (General Willard in Star Wars) plays the demented taxidermist, Snyder. In the second segment, "You Killed Elizabeth," written by Sidney Carroll (who co-wrote The Hustler), and directed by David Eady, lifelong friends fall in love with the same woman. George (Emrys Jones) has always stood in Edgar's (John Gregson) shadow. The two have a falling out when they realize they both love Elizabeth (Elizabeth Sellars), and when she later turns up dead, it affects the friendship in a surprising way. Badel plays the friendly bartender, Harry. The final story, "Lord Mountdrago," was based on a story by W. Somerset Maugham. Directed by George More O'Ferrall, the segment stars Orson Welles as Lord Mountdrago, the officious secretary of state for foreign affairs. Mountdrago uses his oratory powers to destroy the career of a charismatic political opponent, Owen (Badel again). Mountdrago then finds himself tormented by the vengeful Owen, who seems to have found a way to enter his dreams. Andre Morrell (Bridge on the River Kwai) plays Mountdrago's baffled psychiatrist. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
Review
The British suspense anthology Three Cases of Murder is a serviceable collection of three Twilight Zone-like mysterious tales. The first tale, "The Picture," is a cheesy but entertaining trip inside the world of a spooky landscape painting. It's highlighted by strong performances. There isn't a lot of depth of characterization, but Hugh Pryse as Jarvis, the museum tour guide, and Alan Badel as the fussy painter, are both perfectly cast, and Eddie Byrne brings a darkly comic edge to his role as Snyder, the obsessive taxidermist who lives inside the painting. By modern standards, none of the three stories is especially frightening, but "The Picture" generates the most chills with its matter-of-fact weirdness. "You Killed Elizabeth" is a fairly routine murder story, as the host of the anthology pretty much admits in his introduction. As the mystery behind the story is fairly predictable, this segment suffers the most of the three from its lack of character development. For example, it's never really clear why Elizabeth (Elizabeth Sellars) is so easily wooed away from George (Emrys Jones) by Edgar (John Gregson), which is a pivotal plot point. The third segment, "Lord Mountdrago," benefits greatly from the presence of Orson Welles in the title role, while Badel, playing his political rival, Owen, makes a surprisingly strong foil. While the plot and treatment aren't particularly scary or original, the two lead actors ham it up most entertainingly. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
Ann Hanslip - The Girl; Harry Welchman - Connoisseur; Emrys Jones - George Wheeler [You Killed Elizabeth]; John Gregson - Edgar Curtain [You Killed Elizabeth]; Jack Lambert - Inspector Acheson [You Killed Elizabeth]; Philip Dale - Sgt. Mallot [You Killed Elizabeth]; Colette Wilde - Jane [You Killed Elizabeth]; Christina Forrest - Susan [You Killed Elizabeth]; Maurice Kaufmann - Pemberton [You Killed Elizabeth]; Orson Welles - Lord Mountdrago [Lord Mountdrago]; Helen Cherry - Lady Mountdrago; Peter Burton - Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs [Lord Mountdrago]; Arthur Wontner - Leader of the House [Lord Mountdrago]; John Humphrey - Private Secretary [Lord Mountdrago]; David Horne - Sir James [Lord Mountdrago]; Andre Morell - Dr. Audlin [Lord Mountdrago]; Zena Marshall - Beautiful Blonde [Lord Mountdrago]; Evelyn Hall - Lady Connemara [Lord Mountdrago]; Patrick Macnee; Elizabeth Sellars - Elizabeth Grange [You Killed Elizabeth]
Three Cases of Murder is a 1955Britishdrama film starring Orson Welles. Welles appears in one of three unrelated stories about murder. The first and third stories are supernatural.
In the first story a museum worker enters one of the pictures in a gallery. In the second two friends fall in love with the same woman before she is murdered by one of them. In the third a politician seeks revenge on a political opponent by entering his dreams.
Each segment was directed by a different director. Actor Alan Badel appears in all three films.
