With Christianna Brand's "Green For Danger" a big hit for director Sidney Gilliat, lowly Exclusive Films (Hammer's original name) turned to Brand's first novel "Death in High Heels". But while "Green For Danger" was a stunning psychological drama set among the private lives of a group of hospital workers and with top stars (Rosamund John, Trevor Howard etc) to bring it to life, "High Heels" was a quota quickie (and how) with cheap sets (one set tripling for a showroom, a dressing room and a cafeteria!!) and a cast of no namers!!
Set in a luxury Bond Street fashion house (a world Brand was familiar with) it reeled viewers in instantly with a gallery of all the players and their relationship with the dead girl, June, who has been killed before the film starts. "If Agnes Gregory was Bevan's right hand then June had been his left and he didn't wish his right hand to know what his left was doing" etc. Agnes is soon established as the shop tyrant - the girls even joke with the chemist that they need the prussic acid to kill Agnes and he wishes them good luck!! They actually need it to clean a hat!!
Things pick up a bit when the poison goes missing after being spilt on the floor, the boss says "Sweep it up, put it in an envelope and leave it on the table"!! - why not just get rid of it!! The designer is looking guilty - he has threatened to kill himself but then is found helping out in the kitchen!!
Someone does die - it is Magda, but the poison is so obviously meant for Agnes. At the last minute she has stormed out to keep a luncheon engagement. Scotland Yard comes into it and suddenly everyone looks guilty - all except Agnes whose forthrightness and commonsense stand out in a sea of furtive looks. There are a few surprises in the "all the suspects gathered in the one room" finale. It all has to do with promotion, both murders, - the lucky someone to get a transfer to the Deauville offices in sunny France.
It certainly doesn't try to cover up the cheapness of the sets but at only 50 minutes it is a nice way to spend an hour.
Set in a luxury Bond Street fashion house (a world Brand was familiar with) it reeled viewers in instantly with a gallery of all the players and their relationship with the dead girl, June, who has been killed before the film starts. "If Agnes Gregory was Bevan's right hand then June had been his left and he didn't wish his right hand to know what his left was doing" etc. Agnes is soon established as the shop tyrant - the girls even joke with the chemist that they need the prussic acid to kill Agnes and he wishes them good luck!! They actually need it to clean a hat!!
Things pick up a bit when the poison goes missing after being spilt on the floor, the boss says "Sweep it up, put it in an envelope and leave it on the table"!! - why not just get rid of it!! The designer is looking guilty - he has threatened to kill himself but then is found helping out in the kitchen!!
Someone does die - it is Magda, but the poison is so obviously meant for Agnes. At the last minute she has stormed out to keep a luncheon engagement. Scotland Yard comes into it and suddenly everyone looks guilty - all except Agnes whose forthrightness and commonsense stand out in a sea of furtive looks. There are a few surprises in the "all the suspects gathered in the one room" finale. It all has to do with promotion, both murders, - the lucky someone to get a transfer to the Deauville offices in sunny France.
It certainly doesn't try to cover up the cheapness of the sets but at only 50 minutes it is a nice way to spend an hour.