Le manoir du mystère

I saw this film when a child and it has haunted me ever since, mainly because of the very dark and disturbing dream sequences experienced by the insurance investigator played by Jack Hawkins.

These are typically Sidney Gilliat with glimpses of vignettes - a technique he has used elsewhere as in his later underrated thriller Endless Night. Brilliantly conceived.

As a previous reviewer has commented, the film captures London from the 50's very well - a London I remember as a kid so seeing it again by accident on afternoon TV recently was a nostalgic experience. A great old movie which should be on DVD.

Director Gilliat pulls off a great film despite some loose ends that are hard to tie, as much as insurance investigator, Oliver Branwell (Jack Hawkins) tries to do it. One of them is Tricksie, the poodle pooch that appears once, then is looked for, and is not mentioned or seen again... but that is minor stuff.

The really good thing is that this noir doubles very effectively as a whodunnit, in the search for the murderer of Morton (Dennis Price) and the arsonist that sets fire to the mansion.

The cast is fantastic: even Bernard Miles, Christopher Lee, and Malcolm and Geoffrey Keen surface in small but high quality roles. Hawkins is as dependable and well-spoken as ever, stunning Arlene Dahl simply steals the show.

Excellent cinematography by Gerald Gibbs, including recurring nightmare sequence that does much to link the action together.

Recommended viewing.

Hawkins is an insurance investigator who coincidentally meets old flame Dahl who is married to dennis Price. The aftermath of this meeting includes two fires, a possible murder , blackmail and bigamy?? Sterling support from Geoffrey Keen and his real life father as Hawkins employers. There are enough red herrings here to keep everyone happy and Hawkins as always is superb. This is the kind of film that reminds everyone of an England that is no more. Slow cars, fur coats ,dancing and supper at a nightclub. Where Scotland yard looks it should and the coppers look like michael goodlife. The minor characters are well rounded and blend into a believable plot. And the old house in the fog coupled with the smoke from the fires remind us of the smog filled London of the 50s.

Oh how I love old British films.

A better than average crime noir that features Jack Hawkins as an insurance investigator drafted in, on Christmas Eve, to investigate a fire at a country house. When he gets there he discovers an old flame (Irene Dahl) married to the owner (Dennis Price). When he dies in a second fire at the house, Hawkins suspects that she was behind it for the insurance cash, but she convinces him not and they marry and all seems straightforward until a blackmailer rears his ugly head and together they have to try to get to the bottom of things. Hawkins is good in this, he keeps it all tense and although the plot does trip over itself once or twice, a good supporting cast including Ian Hunter and Geoffrey Keen make this quite an intriguing mystery with plenty of red herrings to keep us hooked.

Through all the rest of the film after the big fire you expect Dennis Price to turn up again with his wheezing asthma, as you suspect that's what he is doing even after he first has been found dead. You simply can't believe he is dead, just as his widow does, since there are constantly recurring signs that he isn't, for instance the dog that always favoured him and all those left cigarette butts that constantly keep turning up still smoking. The first thing that must strike you about Dennis Price's character is that you shouldn't smoke when you have asthma. Well, he does in every scene in which he appears. There are many good reasons for small chuckles of laughter at various instances of jovial good humour, maybe especially after the very last scene. They are all ordinary insurance agents trying to do their job as honestly as possible, and Jack Hawkins is the most honest of them all, although he loses his temper at times and keeps delaying or postponing coming out with the truth. It's a splendidly brilliant thriller with many odds and turns, and you never quite know where anyone stands - who could ever have suspected that most innocent and honourable person of them all? The ladies are perfectly intriguing to say the least, Greta Gynt has a small part but an appallingly efficient one. Arlene Dahl as the leading lady is perfectly convincing in all her doubted innocence, and Christopher Lee makes another unforgettable impression in his only scene with a perfectly smashing black eye. Tracey Morton (Dennis Price) must have laughed himself all through the film, especially as his death is so doubtful. In brief, this is a British noir at its best and a most enjoyable titbit for any connoisseur.