The 20 Questions Murder Mystery

As a low budget British crime film mixing fact and fiction, THE 20 QUESTIONS MURDER MYSTERY works far better than the previous attempt I saw, THE BRASS MONKEY. This one takes the real-life participants of the radio quiz show '20 Questions' and incorporates them into a plot involving a vengeful murderer who gradually works his way through a group of old soldiers. His modus operandi is to send in clues and puzzles to the '20 Questions' team before committing each crime. It's a novel premise and one that works quite well thanks to the literate script. The director, Paul L. Stein, had a lengthy career that started out in German silent cinema before he fled to the UK in 1938 and became a film director over here. He died shortly after this production, leaving the film a fitting testament to his talents.

Fans of the genre will recognise various tropes here, from the intrepid reporter running rings around the police to the villain with his secret motive and the well-staged and atmospheric murders which feel like they're out of an Edgar Wallace novel. As the reporter hero, the Canadian born Robert Beatty had one of the longest careers in Hollywood history and does a fine job, and Rona Anderson is ahead of the times as the sharp female reporter. Once again, Wally Patch (SALUTE THE TOFF) steals every scene as the humorous cop assigned to bodyguard duty to protect the equally funny Jack Train, and Kynaston Reeves plays in support.

A film that will remind you that a Dimbleby has always been on the BBC as Richard Dimbleby plays himself as a member of the Twenty Questions radio panel. The panel receive a series of anonymous clues that lead to murder.

A journalist Bob Beacham (Robert Beatty) realises that a question sent by a listener regarding Riki-tiki-tavi is somehow linked to the death next day of a man with a name similar to it.

Along with a fellow journalist Mary Game (Rona Anderson) they look for similar clues in the next edition of the radio program as they figure that a pattern is developing.

It is never explained why the murderer has gone to elaborate lengths to the taunt the police but they seem to be more interested in fitting up an Indian manservant called Mohammed Ali.

All through the film you get comments on the case by two BBC workers on the reception of the radio show.

There is a lot of casual sexism in the film, yet it is a rather amusing, dated and diverting thriller.

Despite only being six at the time I well remember the national grief when broadcaster Richard Dimbleby died in 1965, and you probably have to be my age or over to get the references to Rikitikitavi and Judge Jeffreys (while it dates the film that no eyebrows are raised at one character being called 'Mohammed Ali')!

Oddly this seems not to be based on a novel, since it plays like a Hollywood series entry embellished with a plusher production, wittily cynical quips, London locations and a large British supporting cast with familiar faces in sometimes surprisingly brief roles. (SLIGHT SPOILER COMING: It was because one well known actor was given so little to do that alerted me to the fact that he was going to turn out to be the killer.)

Based around a guessing game radio show that that was very popular in America and the UK in the 40s and 50s, this film stars the cast of the British version. An anonymous listener is mailing questions into the show to be solved on the air, and these clues are lining up with actual murders being committed, so it's up to our radio heroes to decipher the clues for each new letter before it's too late and the murder committed.

It's old, creaky, but also quaint and light hearted with all murder and violence happening off-screen. I imagine people who were familiar with the UK program got more miles out of this than the rest of us as there are a number of in-jokes based on the panelists personalities (particularly Jack Train, who seems to be the goofball of the otherwise stuffy group), but it's still a fun, quick Sunday afternoon-type whodunit if you like the sort and even if you've never heard of the show.

It begins with some originality, even blurring the lines between reality and fiction by having several real panelists of a (rather obscure today) radio game show playing "themselves" but acting out a script. However, all of this is quickly mostly abandoned, and the film becomes a conventional, talky and overlong murder mystery. A dull male protagonist does not help much. The killer, however, is admittedly well-hidden. ** out of 4.