Clue of the New Pin

A clever, entertaining and well acted British B Movie. It holds your attention from start to finish. An hour film with plenty of intrigue. The film stars some of Britain's finest actors and goes some way to prove that British B Movies in the 50's and 60's ( for me ) provide great entertainment.

This is essentially a locked room mystery as there is little doubt as to who the murderer can be.

More of a case of how they did it.

John Trasmere is a curmudgeonly mysterious millionaire who made his fortune in the far east and it might not be entirely kosher.

His nephew Rex Lander is his private secretary and puts up with his uncle in the hope that one day he will inherit everything.

Tab Holland (James Villiers) is the television presenter who is hoping to interview Trasmere. He knows Rex and Trasmere at least gives him a tour of his house including the basement which contains a strong room.

Just after a long lost acquaintance from abroad his visited Trasmere. The latter is found dead in his strong room. The key is inside the room on top of a table.

No one can enter the room without a key.

A puzzle for Superintendent Carver (Bernard Archard). He suspects the nephew who Trasmere had earlier told that he would not inherit a penny from him.

Holland is also determined to solve the puzzle as to how Trasmere was killed.

An efficient B movie, the identity of the murderer does not remain hidden for long. Soon another body is found in similar circumstances.

You have to wonder how many people would have died before Carver made his arrest. The way the the murderer locked the room from the outside and placed the key inside was worth watching.

John Trasmere is a reclusive multi millionaire, short tempered and irascible, he is irritated one evening when a face from his past drops by for a visit, soon after, he's killed, found dead in a specially built safe room, a room that nobody could have gained access to.

It's a very clever b movie, I'm pretty sure I've seen a similar plot and methodology somewhere else, but I may be wrong. This is a very well conceived, well plotted, locked room mystery.

It's not particularly difficult to work out who, but how represented something of a challenge, and the method is a very clever one. I wonder if David Renwick watched this whilst planning Jonathan Creek.

Solid performances all round, Paul Daneman and Clive Morton are good, James Villiers had recently appeared in an Edgar Wallace film, obviously impressed, and had a much more substantial role here, and Bernard Archard was always great value.

A very well imagined mystery.

8/10.