User reviews

Murder Will Out opens with, what else, a murder. Specifically of a woman who had an involvement with three men, struggling author Edward Underdown, publisher Henry Kendall, and successful author James Robertson Justice self described as the Field Marshal of English Letters. Robertson Justice is married quite unhappily to Valerie Hobson who shows quite a bit of her most famous screen character Estella from Great Expectations.

Hobson takes her character from Dickens, but Robertson Justice is a British version of Waldo Lydecker from Laura. Mix these two together and you've got the recipe of an English murder mystery with some real bite and a few clever plot twists in the end.

All three of the men and possibly Hobson have some good reason to murder the victim. None of the men have a satisfactory alibi for the time of the murder so Scotland Yard in the persons of Inspector Garry Marsh and Sergeant Sam Kydd have only to wait it out, watch and observe, and see if this resolves itself.

Like some of our B films you occasionally find a real nugget among them and Murder Will Out, a quota quickie over in the UK, definitely fills that bill.

You will particularly love what James Robertson Justice and Valerie Hobson do with their characters. If you're a fan of English murder mysteries this one is a hidden gem.

A woman is dead in her flat. It turns out that she was not a good girl, although I write that not in its usual sense. She was a blackmailer, and police inspector Garry Marsh interviews four persons of interest: her employer - for her day job - publisher Henry Kendall; Edward Underdown, who has had two books published by Kendall, but has failed to impress the critics or the public; John Robertson Justice, Kendall's most famous and successful author; and Valerie Hobson, Justice's wife, and Underdown's lover. While the investigation hangs fire, Justice, dying, works out a plan of vengeance that is very obscure until the end.

That's why I am willing to forgive a small imbecility whose only purpose is to increase the tension. It's a fine, suspenseful thriller that keeps the audience guessing as to what's going on, and who killed the dead woman.... even though she isn't mentioned after the first ten minutes until nearly the end. That, and Mr. Justice, playing one of his signature roles: brilliant, self-absorbed, self-award, witty at his own expense, and a tyrant feared by all who know him. Plus, if the role called for it, an expert falconer in real life. It's a pity, but I think it never did.

This top cast made this cheap B movie into an A event. Writer-director John Gilling never did better by himself.

A female blackmailer is murdered, and three suspects emerge in "The Voice of Merrill," known in the US as "Murder Will Out."

Publisher Parker (Henry Kendall), up-and-coming writer Hugh (Edward Underdown), and Jonathan (James Robertson Justice) are the three who may have been involved in her murder.

Jonathan is married to Alycia (Valerie Hobson), but the marriage is not a happy one. She meets Hugh, and they fall in love. Hugh was due to meet the victim for dinner the night she was killed.

Ambitious for Hugh, Alycia organizes a radio series of her husband's old stories. The show is called The Voice of Merrill. It becomes extremely popular, with people wondering about the identity of the voice.

Alycia wants to tell the press that the writer of the stories is actually Hugh and not her husband. Jonathon has a severe heart problem and not expected to live. He never cared about claiming authorship of the stories. However, seeing the show's success, he decides to make trouble. The last story in the series, still allegedly written by Hugh, is a pip!

The murder of the blackmailer is revealed, but it's actually secondary to the triangle of Jonathan-Alycia-Hugh. There's a twist at the end of the film.

This is a little long and draggy, but Robertson Justice and Hobson really make the film. Robertson Justice reminds me of Peter Ustinov physically. The character has a tremendous wit and has some great dialogue. Underdown is handsome, but his character has the least to do. He was Ian Fleming's choice for James Bond, but the producer never really considered him.

This was a B movie that over time was elevated to an A over time.

When convicted blackmailer Jean Bridges is murdered, Inspector Thornton of Scotland Yard narrows the list to those suspects who are without alibis: Jean's boyfriend, failing author Hugh Allen; publisher Ronnie Parker, who Jean was blackmailing; and the egotistical and obnoxious playwright Jonathan Roach, who had seen her that day.

Roach suffers with a poor heart, though continues to work and is due to read a series of stories on BBC radio. His dissatisfaction with the stories, however, makes him reluctant to do so and his glamorous wife Alycia suggests that he find someone else to read them instead. She recommends Hugh, who has just become her secret lover. Roach agrees and gives Hugh the pseudonym Merrill. The show becomes a success and, over the many weeks it is broadcast, the public begin to speculate who penned the stories. It is likely that Roach will not live for much longer and Alycia suggests to Hugh that he should claim the stories as his own after her husband dies. The sensation, she believes, will boost his career. However, Roach realises what the pair are up to and devises a plan of his own.

Director John Gilling co-wrote this 1952 film for Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman's Tempean Films. Both would make many B-movies throughout the '50s and this was supposed to be one of them. Though made for £25,000, however, it impressed its distributor enough to be promoted to co-feature status when aired in cinemas. Perhaps the BBC allusions and the A-list talent of Valerie Hobson convinced them that there was more than the usual cops and robbers thriller.

It is certainly easy to forget that it is supposed to involve murder, as much time goes by in which it is not even mentioned and more emphasis is given to the fraud plot involving the radio stories. Indeed, despite the noir-style beginning, most of it plays out like a melodrama and the balance is not always maintained. It does, however, stay within the bounds of the genre and, despite the lack of detecting, the secret romance of Hugh and Alycia is compelling and the character of Roach is as sharply observant as any detective. James Robertson Justice, as Roach, brings his usual gravitas to a role which recalls the other abrasive intellectuals he has given us, mainly in comedies such as Very Important Person, Crooks Anonymous and, of course, the Doctor films.

Despite the witty lines on offer, however, he managers to keep the performance on the right side of comedic. Edward Underdown, meanwhile, is suitably lugubrious as a man who is led by the hand to somewhere he does not want to go. With his quiet suavity, it is easy to imagine the actor in the role of a gentleman detective, like Paul Temple. The character he plays here is tortured both by his conscience and a love for a woman with more nerve than he would even want. He also put me in mind of a young John Le Mesurier.

Valerie Hobson has the showiest part and gets to be everything from cunning, worried, flirtatious and sardonic to desperate, dreamy and hysterical. In one memorable scene, she is visibly conflicted as Roach suffers a heart attack and she considers whether or not she should help or let him die. The actress, though only thirty five, had been in films for twenty years by this point but would soon quit acting and become embroiled in the Profumo affair.

The Voice of Merrill (AKA: Murder Will Out) is directed by John Gilling who also adapts the screenplay from a story written by Terence Austin and Gerald Landeau. It stars Valerie Hobson, James Robertson Justice, Edward Underdown, Gary Marsh and Henry Kendall. Music is by Frank Cordell and cinematography by Monty Berman.

A British Who Done It? Thriller Out of Tempean Films, The Voice of Merrill begins with the murder of a pretty lady, the perpetrator unseen of course, and thus begins a tale of blackmail, illicit affairs, dastardly plotting, sleuthing and the vagaries of fate. It's a complex screenplay in many ways, perhaps unnecessary so, and Gilling strains to make all the threads amount to anything akin to suspense. However, once the momentum builds, and the net closes in on the suspects, the makers unleash some genuine surprises that in turn lead to a dramatic climax of some memorable impact. The acting is only OK, though it's always fun to see Robertson Justice doing one of his big bluff cantankerous acts. 6.5/10

A Female blackmailer is murdered, and one of four people have potentially killed her, the suspects include, her boss, an unsuccessful writer named Hugh, experienced writer Jonathan and his wife Alycia.

Known as Murder will out in The USA, and The voice of Merrill (arguably a better title) her in The UK, it's a B movie, and runs for approximately 90 minutes. Not a film I've ever heard spoken of, so I'm seeing it for the first time, with no prior knowledge of its content.

The story is nothing new, it has been done many, many times, and the script is average at best, but what shines through, the acting. I have adored Valerie Hobson ever since seeing her in Mind hearts and coronets, and she delivers a knockout performance here, equally good is the bombastic James Robertson Justice, he's loud and brash, a great contrast to Hobson.

It's not the most polished looking film you'll ever see, at times it does actually feel a little threadbare, and it really could have done with a bit more suspense, even the music is a little lifeless, but there really is something, maybe it's the expectation, or the curiosity caused by the murder.

The BBC gets a little bit of a pasting (something it's been more than used to for many years) once again, back then it was for being dreary.

7/10.

"The Voice Of Merrill" aka "Murder Will Out" (1952) is the kind of film best watched on a cold day under warm covers. It doesn't attempt any major filmmaking innovations, but it is a solid example of what is often affectionately called the "cozy" British whodunit. Actually, it begins as a whodunit, but develops into a new when-will-it-be-done tale involving some of the main suspects, until both plot threads get tied up at the end. James Robertson Justice steals the show as a sharp-tongued author. Overall, it's familiar material well-done; only the very ending is slightly too abrupt. *** out of 4.

There's something of the theatrical about the opening to this: a glamorous woman is shot - we hear the shot, see her fall but have no ideas as to the assailant. It transpires that she was a rather unsavoury blackmailer and we have quite a few potential suspects for "Insp. Thornton" (Garry Marsh) to get to grips with. The investigation into her murder is really only tangential to the storyline. The real story centres around the snobbish writer "Jonathan" (James Robertson Justice) who has an heart condition and a wife "Alycia" (Valerie Hobson) who is keen on up-and-coming writer "Hugh" (Edward Underdown). It turns out that JRJ's business partner "Parker" (Henry Kendall) also has some skin in this game - having embezzled some £3,000 from his company's funds. Things all start to come to an head when "Alycia" concludes that she must dispose of her ailing husband so she can be free to be with her new beau... At times it's a well written mystery featuring a solid effort from the curmudgeonly star, but for the most part the melodrama between Hobson and her unlikely gentleman friend Underdown dominates and drags the thing downunder. Still, it's quite enjoyable as the pieces of the jigsaw gradually fit into place - and the ending has quite a nice twist to it too. Worth a watch.

This is a film populated with unlikable people — we can't even fully sympathize with Hugh(Edward Underdown) because he is too weak to resist a particular professional temptation — he clearly possesses SOME principles about this, but allows himself to be steamrollered in a fashion that strains credibility. James Robertson Justice's performance delivers a little fun, and his jaded character at least comes off more believably than anyone else's except perhaps his butler's. Valerie Hobson plays what is probably the single most unsympathetic role of her entire career, seemingly without fully realizing it. This film walks a rather uncertain wobbly line between noir and an awkward romantic story. In neither category does it "land" with any conviction, despite the calibre of the actors involved.

While I didn't like anyone in the story and the entire proceeding feels highly incredible in every detail, I suppose it's still entertaining enough for one viewing if you've nothing better to do. It's a not unpleasant little diversion, attractively made but with little distinction to the story it is telling.

Today ,the broadcast stories (and series) have become a thing of the past ,but when the TV sets did not exist, they would keep the audience glued to their radio .The subject of the film ( a failed writer trying to appropriate a famous one's works ) has become common today .

It begins as a classic whodunit with the usual suspects , but continues with a love triangle , with a cynical wife (angel face Valérie Hobson turning into a femme fatale) urging her lover (Edward Underdown)to do away with her burdensome husband. Both plots are astutely linked in the last fifteen minutes ,although Hobson 's fate is rather derivative .Directing is not exciting ,but acting is effective ,particularly James Robertson Justice ,a cynical victim ,who knows he is terminally ill ,but who thinks revenge is a dish best eaten cold : I like his directing of stage actors: " don't act like a grizzly bear at the mating season " (and it's an euphemism)

The presence of Valerie Hobson is an obvious sign that Tempean Films were attempting upgrade their product; so it's ironic that it's actually infinitely less involving than their usual potboilers, with whom it shares the inevitable Sam Kydd and Gerry Marsh.

The most interesting aspects of it are a cynical acceptance that blackmail was then rife in Britain a bleak, nihilistic ending and an early example of James Robertson Justice as his usual patronising bully in what passes for him as a 'straight' role.

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After an arresting opening murder scene, THE VOICE OF MERRILL soon becomes one of the stodgiest murder mysteries I've seen from Britain in the 1950s. It wasn't until the mid to late part of the decade that British thrillers started to become more influenced by the American film noir/crime thriller genre, thus incorporating more action and incident into the narratives.

Certainly THE VOICE OF MERRILL comes across as a rather dated and ho-hum sort of film with a story that barely registers. The viewer is introduced to four separate characters, each of whom has a motive for committing the early murder: there's the up-and-coming author (played by THEY WERE NOT DIVIDED's Edward Underdown), the snobbish literary figure (played by James Robertson Justice, doing his best Orson Welles impersonation) and his wife, and the shifty publisher (Henry Kendall, of THE GHOST CAMERA fame).

Much of this film seems to get bogged down in radio play material which doesn't really add anything, plus an unwelcome romantic sub-plot between Underdown and the wife character. The latter is played by the lovely Valerie Hobson (WEREWOLF OF London), still an alluring beauty some twenty years after she first came to fame. Sam Kydd has a larger supporting role than usual as one of the younger detectives investigating the case. John Gilling, who later became one of Hammer's go-to guys in the 1960s, could usually be relied upon to direct more entertaining produce than this.

There is a lot of unbearable soppy love stuff between Alicia and Hugh. Alicia wears a rather strained air of arch amusement whether she is flirting with a man she's only just met or exchanging barbs with her husband, Jonathan. Playwright Jonathan Roach is foul and obnoxious to everybody he meets, but he just may have some self-awareness. The only person he's on friendly terms with is his butler, Pearce. Perhaps this gleam of humanity is due to James Robertson Justice's skill as an actor.

Of course the couple should split up - but look at the decor, and Alicia's jewellery. Roach obviously has money, and if she can just hang on until his last heart attack it will all be hers. She's not likely to leave her big house (and butler) for the unsuccessful Hugh Allen. And she can be pretty shrewish herself.

She is a literary agent - her husband's - and she takes Hugh's career in hand too. Someone likened her to the heartless Estella, but isn't she more of a Lady Macbeth? Give me the daggers - or rather, the digitalis. Unfortunately it's Jonathan, not Hugh, who has the talent.

But with all that money, couldn't she have bought some more attractive clothes? That hat like a helmet secured by multiple plaits - aaargh!

With a female blackmailer found dead in an apartment and her connection with a celebrated literary writer, it has all the building blocks of a tense and dramatic film. However, the lack of energy, emotion and chemistry between the murder suspects renders the film as average. The pace and tempo of the film is too leisurely, has too much talking and there's not nearly enough menace in the dialogue. Most of the scenes take place in either Broadcasting House or Robertson Justice's grand London house, where he lives with his literary agent and wife, Valerie Hobson. It's a loveless marriage, and so the very refined and delightful Valerie Hobson sets her sights on a struggling writer. Yet, despite Hobson playing the 'femme fatale' and seducer of Underdown, their relationship fails to trigger any excitement or get the pulses racing, as the love scenes are too coy and lacking any passion. Indeed, Underdown comes across as a rather lifeless, timid and one dimensional character whose dullness is in sharp contrast to Robertson Justice, who plays the pompous, patronising and overbearing celebrated author. His screen presence is a joy to behold but even he can't rescue the film from being nothing more than a 'pot boiler'.