In my critique of "A Girl Must Live" (1939), I wondered who the uncredited attractive girl dancer was who was thought by the other dancers, (when staying for the weekend at Pangborough Manor), to be wearing a too revealing swimming costume.By chance I then acquired "Alibi" (1942) for my Margaret Lockwood collection and lo and behold, a character called "Josette" played by a Judy Gray at last was credited in the film, despite having a similar length part.In fact when I checked IMDb.com. for "Alibi" it is the only film Judy is credited with (but evidentally not the only one in which she appeared).
"Alibi" is set in Paris in 1937 and concerns a night club girl called Helene Ardouin (Margaret Lockwood) who does not have her heart in her job which is parting punters from their cash.In fact the manager reduces her wages in an attempt to improve her performance of generating cash for the night club.Helene gets behind on her rent and a "Professor Winkler" (Raymond Lovell), who is a mystery man act at the club, offers Helene 20,000 francs if she will state she was with him at a certain time and date.This false alibi is made to confound the prefecture of police, Inspecteur Calas (Hugh Sinclair), since Prof. Winkler has shot and killed an American with whom he has become criminally involved.Working under cover for the police is Andre Laurent, (James Mason) who is goaded by Insp.Calas to ensnare Helene into falling in love with him in an attempt to break her false alibi.Helene's best friend is "Dany" (Enid Stamp Taylor) who works at the night club along with "Josette" the very attractive (Judy Gray).
Andre genuinely falls in love with Helene but has a weakness for the drink and playing practical jokes which slightly annoy Helene.Of course Prof. Winkler has two assistants who feed him information beforehand of his "surprise" guests.That's all of the plot I will reveal.This is a very rare, difficult to find, title and my copy was slightly muddy in the long shots.
This is a relatively short film (82mins) with a limited plot, hence my rating of 5/10.It does however give viewers another chance to see the first pairing of the Lockwood/Mason partnership after which they appeared together in "The Man in Grey" (1943), "A Place of Our Own" (1945) and most famously in "The Wicked Lady" (1945).
