Review of Three Cases of Murder

Plaudits to "Talking Pictures TV" for putting this criminally - neglected British gem into their late - night schedules. One of the later "portmanteau" works, anchored by the urbane Mr Eamonn Andrews who was huge on English television in the mid 1950s,"Three cases of murder" featured the extraordinary talents of Alan Badel in all three segments. The first - directed by Wendy Toye - is one of the cinema's eeriest experiences.Much of it shot in deep focus and at weird angles and with intense acting by Mr Badel as the ghost of a painter whose work is on display at a small museum. This also features Eddie Byrne as a barking mad naturalist called "Snyder"whose hobby is pinning insects to pieces of card.His latest acquisition(human) is several times referred to as "Snyder's trophy" - an allusion that may well be lost on 21st century viewers but would not have escaped a contemporary audience. I found it very disconcerting and a minor triumph for director and actors both. The second features the amiable John Gregson in a rare non - military role as one of a pair of chums inseparable since school who both go up to Cambridge(Trinity College) and from there to the advertising industry before falling for the same woman with entirely predictable results. THe main interest for modern viewers is the entirely civilised way the (rather ancient) undergraduates behave at their "May Ball" compared to their successors. Finally Orson Welles stars as the arrogant Foreign Secretary who belittles the splendid Alan Badel(A Welsh Firebrand M.P.) on the floor of the House and soon wishes he hadn't. The expected amount of scenery is chewed and as long as the cheque cleared I suspect Welles was a happy man. Do catch this if you possibly can.Hardly anyone will have heard of it and it really is worth the effort. In particular,the Wendy Toye episode is required viewing for serious students of British movies.