Hetty Wainthropp starts in the private detective business by tracking down the son abandoned fifty years previously by the husband of her lifelong friend, Edith. Frank Cross isn't sure he wants his son found but find him Hetty does. Then the son, Bernard, asks Hetty to find his runaway 16 year old son, Geoffrey. Due to an implausible coincidence, she does find him. But a major focus is on Frank and Edith Cross who lead unnecessarily impoverished and exceedingly dreary lives but evidently the Crosses are satisfied. Bernard's appearance on the scene somewhat upsets the apple cart in the Cross household but then things take a dramatic turn. The last part of the movie is both sad and pathetic. Rutledge shines in the role of Hetty with her no nonsense manner and easy affability with a variety of people. One thing's for sure - everyone should be as lucky as Edith in having a friend such as Hetty. A highlight of the movie is seeing Jean Kent as the elderly and delightful former actress, Phillida Meadowhite. I'm a big fan of the Hetty Wainthropp series and I'm glad they decided to replace the dour Robert as her husband and the bland Geoffrey as her young assistant in the television series. And that they lightened up the series. Good moves, all.
