Interesting compendium of three short stories of murder, with Alan Badel co-starring in all three.
The first ("In The Picture") has a supernatural theme to it. Not scary, but a little creepy. Sort of a cross between "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "House of Wax". My reference to the former is nothing to do with any blood and gore comparison (there's none in the latter), but is a tentative comparative reference to the weird family inhabitants of the respective houses. There is a somewhat 'disturbing' psychology portrayed in the former that is similarly but independently reflected in the latter.
The second, "You Killed Elizabeth", starring the late, great John Gregson, is a kind of 'ménage-a-trois' murder mystery with a sharp and interesting twist at the end.
Finally, Orson Welles stars in the last of the tryptic, a short story by W. Somerset Maugham called "Lord Mountdrago" (Welles playing the title role). This offers a very interesting snapshot of the House of Commons in 1955, with Welles's Mountdrago the Conservative Foreign Secretary. Unfortunately, Welles does not pull off a particularly convincing British accent although his acting is, as usual, pretty sound.
The general acting throughout the whole compilation is dated but okay. Shining through are Welles, Gregson and Badel.
This anthology is by no means of an equal comparison to the classic, similar "Dead of Night" (1948) compendium, but adequately holds its own and does captivate the viewers' interest.
A recommended watch.
The first ("In The Picture") has a supernatural theme to it. Not scary, but a little creepy. Sort of a cross between "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "House of Wax". My reference to the former is nothing to do with any blood and gore comparison (there's none in the latter), but is a tentative comparative reference to the weird family inhabitants of the respective houses. There is a somewhat 'disturbing' psychology portrayed in the former that is similarly but independently reflected in the latter.
The second, "You Killed Elizabeth", starring the late, great John Gregson, is a kind of 'ménage-a-trois' murder mystery with a sharp and interesting twist at the end.
Finally, Orson Welles stars in the last of the tryptic, a short story by W. Somerset Maugham called "Lord Mountdrago" (Welles playing the title role). This offers a very interesting snapshot of the House of Commons in 1955, with Welles's Mountdrago the Conservative Foreign Secretary. Unfortunately, Welles does not pull off a particularly convincing British accent although his acting is, as usual, pretty sound.
The general acting throughout the whole compilation is dated but okay. Shining through are Welles, Gregson and Badel.
This anthology is by no means of an equal comparison to the classic, similar "Dead of Night" (1948) compendium, but adequately holds its own and does captivate the viewers' interest.
A recommended watch.