Dual Alibi

Like one or two others here, I recall seeing this on TV years ago. It certainly made an impression and watching it again recently reminded me why it did.

The story never falters from the start and there's neither an extraneous scene nor wasted word of dialogue. The word 'noir' is often used inaccurately on IMDb and elsewhere these days to describe a run of the mill crime movie that happened to be shot in black and white, but this film is the real thing. Not a single scene takes place in daylight, and the often oppressive ambiance is caught in the opening shot as a bedraggled group of unemployed men are made up as clowns to go out in the pouring rain with sandwich boards to promote Vincent Barney's circus. The kindly Barney recognises one of the de Lisles, identical twins and trapeze artists who used to be his star attraction and who now recounts his fall from grace.

Director Alfred Travers did not enjoy a high profile, making few films, mostly obscure second features, but he clearly knew what he was doing here. By comparison, for example, the renowned Terence Fisher's 'noirs' for Hammer in the early 1950s are heavy-handed and soporific. Apart from Travers' skill in keeping the story moving, the circus atmosphere is conjured brilliantly through the judicious choice of background music, particularly Stanley Black's haunting trapeze theme, since the budget apparently didn't stretch to featuring any actual circus acts apart from the twins' high-flying act and brief glimpses of a horse and an elephant. Not least he gets some excellent performances too. Herbert Lom is superb as the twins, bringing out their subtle differences, and with the aid of James Wilson's masterly trick photography, all the more remarkable on such a poverty row production, it's easy to suspend disbelief. The talented and popular comedian of radio and concert parties Ronald Frankau, making a rare screen appearance, brings charm, authority, and a sense of fun to his portrayal of the avuncular and sympathetic Barney. Terence de Marney is convincing as the repellent and ruthless Mike Bergin, whilst playing his accomplice, Penny, is 'Britain's First Lady of Striptease' Phyllis Dixey. She doesn't do a bad job; but this was only her second and last film appearance. Her striptease act must have been of a very genteel variety, in fact according to one aficionado 'her girls did the stripping while she gave the audience the occasional "flash"! She was portrayed by Lesley-Anne Down in an excellent TV biopic THE ONE AND ONLY PHYLLIS DIXIE, broadcast in November 1978.

DUAL ALIBI concludes with a twist ending as unforced and logical as it is uncompromising, and should definitely be a candidate for DVD release by one of those companies specialising in forgotten classic British films!

Herbert Lom plays twins in this movie. Also acrobats. Also a murderer.

Hired by Ronald Frankau to perform their two-act at Blackpool, the twin-acrobat act is a sensation. When publicist Terence de Marney discovers they have won the grand prize of a million francs in the French national lottery, he sets his girlfriend, Phyllis Dixey, to make up to one of the twins and steals the lottery ticket. When they discover this, they track him down and one of them murders the thief, while the other is performing solo, providing an alibi for the other. But which is it?

It's a gimmick mystery, with a strong noir element: sleazy setting, sleazy characters and some clever camera, provided by split-screen camerawork, and enough character differentiation to offer some good acting. The acrobatic work is offered in long shots, so that the Cromwell Brothers could do the work. This was their only movie appearance.

Herbert Lom, best remembered now for his appearances as Commissioner Dreyfus in the Pink Panther franchise, was born in 1917 and christened Herbert Charles Angelo Kuchacevich ze Schluderpacheru. He made his first movie in 1937 in Czechoslovakie. By 1942 he was in Great Britain, where he played Napoleon, villains in crime dramas, and his favorite role, in THE LADYKILLERS. He appeared in almost a hundred movies, and his last performance was in 2007 on TV's AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MARPLE series. He died a couple of weeks after his 95th birthday.

This was a fine example of a British film, well acted and directed, an excellent storyline and no slip ups or confusion as sometimes arises in plots like this. Herbert Lom gives a spellbinding performance as the twins, and the rest of the cast are marvellous too. Everyone gives 100% and we enjoyed it very much. It should have got some awards. Please do watch it, if you get the chance. you wont be disappointed. A fine cast of actors doing a brilliant job with a first class director. Superb. I had not been aware of this director before and as he wrote the script too, (oh yes, I forgot to say excellent script) he has excelled himself. Why no proper recognition ? I had not even heard of this film before. It was shown at a quarter to three in the morning! The photography was well done and the matching was excellent too. This film should be acknowledged as a classic British film.

Herbert Lom recounts his tale in flashback as to how he has ended up scraping a living by sandwich boarding. He was once part of a headlining trapeze act in a circus owned by Ronald Frankau (Barney) performing in sunny Blackpool. His partner was his twin and his tale is one of tragedy. What happened to the twin?

This film ends on a downbeat note but it is still entertaining thanks to the cast of villains and the central aspect of distinguishing the twins from one another. It is crucial to the plot and keeps you watching. Lom is very good in this dual role and the twins use their similarity to their advantage in a novel twist to a murder charge. I think justice was done.

Phyllis Dexter (Penny) as the bad girl doesn't do any stripping. She should have, though, given that was her real-life business!

I remember seeing this film some forty years ago. I was still at school and found it curiously absorbing. In fact I could'not stop telling everybody about it for days afterwards. I recall the film creating an atmosphere at once dark and foreboding. There was an understated menace in the air much as in the opening pages of a story by H.P. Lovecraft. The plot was relatively straight forward but with a delicious twist at the end that has been likened to a tale by O. Henry. What carries the film is the sublime performance of Herbert Lom. Now there was an actor who played the archetypal smooth villain of his day. In fact I cannot think of any other actor who so consummately conveyed villainy with such effective "European" sophistication and grace. A role portrayed to perfection in "The Ringer" with Donald Wolfit, "the Golden Salamander" and later, "Northwest Passage" with Kenny More and Lauren Bacall. Shades of Conrad Veidt of an earlier generation. Herbert Lom was a busy actor who appeared in numerous film and theatre productions during the fifties and sixties. Few will remember that he took the lead role when "The King and I" first came to London at Drury Lane (I think) and that he was the natural choice for the Harry Lime role in the radio version of "The Third Man" (circa, 1951). His brooding "European" looks and deep and accented speech were instantly recognised by the audiences of his day and although never a major top-of-the-bill star, was a respected member of any cast (e.g. "and with Herbert Lom as Napoleon") and by todays standards would be considered an A-list celebrity.