Three Cases of Murder

Two tales of the supernatural and one a plain murder are introduced by Eamon Andrews. The first how an artist draws a museum curator into his picture, the second a good, plain whodunnit and finally a pompous minister destroys an opposing MP who seeks his revenge via the ministers dreams.

3 really solid and remarkably modern tales, all of which are enjoyable in their own ways with the final story offering the best of the three with a fine performance from Orson Welles as the pompous Lord Mandrago culminating in a genuinely chilling ending

'Portmanteau' films used to be all the rage and provided a means by which producers could entice patrons with the prospect of seeing a series of mini-films for the price of one. The innate problem with these types of films is that they are bound to contain segments that are weaker than others. Notable exceptions that spring to mind are 'L'Oro di Napoli', 'Souvenirs Perdus' and 'Dead of Night'.

Having directed a short called 'The Stranger left no Card' with Alan Badel, director Wendy Toye has here been assigned the first segment in which Mr. Badel again appears. It concerns an unsuspecting museum guide being literally 'drawn into' a landscape painting with dire consequences. It is an imaginative, well-scripted and distinctly unsettling piece with a splendidly stylish performance by Mr. Badel.

I am not alone I am sure in regarding the next segment as the weakest. There is a neat twist at the end although the casting is bizarre. The theme here is 'cherchez la femme' but John Gregson simply fails to convince as a Don Juan and Elizabeth Sellars as 'la femme' does not exactly quicken the pulse. Alan Badel does a turn as Harry the barman.

Now we come to the main course.

'Lord Mountdrago' featured in a collection of short stories by W. Somerset Maugham published in 1940. Two other stories in the set had already been dramatised in 'Quartet' and 'Encore'.

This is one of the master storyteller's most gripping tales and is told by Dr. Audlin in the shape of a duologue between him and his patient Mountdrago, minister of foreign affairs, whose life is being blighted by nightmares and feelings of persecution. Needless to say this dramatisation has been fleshed out considerably so as to include characters and incidents only referred to during the consultation. The man causing Mountdrago sleepless nights is an MP that he has humiliated during a debate in the House. He is played by Alan Badel, again displaying his versatility. He is a member of the Labour party so naturally has to have a regional accent, in this case Welsh. André Morell gives a beautifully understated performance as Dr. Audlin and Mountdrago is the magnetic Orson Welles. He certainly looks the part as Maugham describes the character as 'having somehow the look of one of the Bourbon sovereigns of the 18th century.' Ironically Welles was to play Louis XV111 in 'Waterloo'.

Although George More 0'Ferrall is credited with the direction this whole segment has director Welles written all over it.

Georges Perinal supplies atmospheric cinematography and the editing by Gerald Turney-Smith is excellent throughout.

The rather strange choice of Eamonn Andrews as the link man prompted one witty critic to suggest that the title of this opus should have been 'This is your Death'!

Eamonn Andrews is the link man for two tales of supernatural suspense and one murder mystery.

In the first segment, titled In The Picture, an art gallery guide is lured into a macabre house painting by the artist and finds himself at the mercy of the residents who dwell there. In the second segment, titled You Killed Elizabeth, two friends fall in love with the same woman and when she is murdered it's obvious one of them did it. But which one? The final segment, titled Lord Mountdrago, The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs ruins the career of an opponent in Parliament and finds the man appearing in his dreams enacting retribution.

As is always the case with anthologies, the quality of stories is mixed, with here the middle section being the one that is pretty standard fare. No such problem with the other two stories though.

The first one is very creepy, even bordering on the terrifying as the tale reaches its conclusion. Once the story reaches the insides of the house in the painting, we are treated to a trio of odd characters living in a house that instantly conjures up images of horror. Ramshackle and creaky, director Wendy Toye further enhances the discord by using canted angles and personalised framing. An excellent story. Starring Hugh Pryse, Alan Badel and Eddie Byrne.

The third tale is considerably boosted by Orson Welles giving bluster to the story written by W. Somerset Maugham. Not without genuine moments of humour, it never reaches scary heights but always it feels off-kilter, the revenge dream attack angle devilish and the production has good quality about it. Very good. Alan Badel co-stars and although the three stories are not related, he is the constant actor in all three. Grand old British trilogy. 8/10

I was first introduced to this film in a British Cinema class I took at the College of Santa Fe and it's haunted me ever since! Despite what the box claims, Orson Wells has a small part in the and of the film... but the real star is Alan Badel. The first segment, "In the Picture," deals with a museum attendant who's paintings have a real, and sinister, life of their own. The second segment, "You Killed Elizabeth," is not supernatural, and probably the film's dullest installment, but has some good character to it. The final segment, which shows Badel at his absolute evilest, "Lord Mountdrago," has Wells and Badel as political adversaries, and Wells' murderous dreams become real. Of all the small obscure murder mystery / horror gems to go unnoticed from Britain this is certainly the one I wish would receive more attention. It is chilling (my favorite segment remains "In the Picture"), well acted, and brilliantly scripted. Rent it if you find it at your video store! Watch it if it (miraculously) appears on television! Or simply go out and buy it (you won't regret it!). If you want to see the BEST horror anthology film ever, look no further than THREE CASES OF MURDER.

THREE CASES OF MURDER is a fun if little known British horror anthology, consisting of three stories all linked by murder and mysterious death. This is very much a cosy little production in which the horror and fantastic elements are played down, but it does share stylistic similarities with the likes of the Ealing classic DEAD OF NIGHT. It's much tamer than the later Amicus anthologies.

As ever, the quality of the stories is mixed, with the first being the best. The main character is the curator of an art gallery who learns of the mysterious background of a particularly atmospheric painting of a spooky old house. He visits the house itself and the sinister occupiers, as well as the artist, only to learn of a terrifying secret. This story boasts strong acting and some great visuals and it's the highlight of the film - and the most supernatural.

The second story is the weakest of the trio and also instantly forgettable. A couple of guys are accused of the murder of a girl, and each provides an alibi for the other. The characters are weak and unmemorable and nothing much happens. The third story is dominated by the presence of star Orson Welles who brings a ton of bluster and charisma to his role of the unpleasant House of Lords member who finds himself haunted by a rival in his dreams. It's essentially an extension of the whole Macbeth/Banquo angle yet Welles makes it his own and lifts the material considerably. The humour might be a bit too broad here but it's a nice way to end a fun and atmospheric little production.