''Murder in Eden'' is a 1961 British

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means ...

directed by

Max Varnel Max Varnel (21 March 1925 – 15 January 1996) was a French-born Australian film and television director who worked primarily in the United Kingdom and Australia. Biography Born Max Le Bozec in Paris, France, he was the son of the film director Ma ...

and starring

Ray McAnally Ray McAnally (30 March 1926 – 15 June 1989) was an Irish actor. He was the recipient of three BAFTA Awards in the late 1980s: two BAFTA Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor (for ''The Mission'' in 1986 and ''My Left Foot'' in 1989), and ...

Catherine Feller Catherine Feller (born 1939) is a British actress and educator. She is perhaps best known for her role as Oliver Reed's love interest in the Hammer Film Productions' ''The Curse of the Werewolf'' (1961). She appeared in '' Waltz of the Toreador ...

and

Yvonne Buckingham Yvonne Buckingham is an English actress who appeared in a number of minor or background roles on episodes of British television series or in British films. She played the title role, though only briefly appearing as the deceased victim, in the ...

. The

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...

involves the murder of an

art critic An art critic is a person who is specialized in analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating art. Their written critiques or reviews contribute to art criticism and they are published in newspapers, magazines, books, exhibition brochures, and catalogue ...

and subsequent hunt for the killer.

Plot

The Woolf Art Gallery is promoting an exhibition of paintings under the title of "The Garden of Eden". A man peers strongly at a picture of Eve forming one of a pair representing

Adam and Eve Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...

by a Dutch artist Van Meerwick. After he discovers a famous painting is fake, a noted art critic is killed by a hit-and-run driver. Inspector Sharkey of Scotland Yard joins forces with French magazine reporter Geneviève Beaujean to investigate. Genevieve spends a lot of time at the gallery. It is revealed she is not a real reporter. The police find a portfolio belonging to the dead man. It states the best forger is Michael Lucas but his work is revealed by the use of

zinc white Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a white powder that is insoluble in water. ZnO is used as an additive in numerous materials and products including cosmetics, food supplements, rubbers, plastics, ceramics, glass, cement ...

. Michael Lucas has the real Eve hidden in a secret room in his seaside villa... he has promised to sell it to Bill Robson and shows him the secret room. Genevieve listens to them chat from the secret room. She has a gun. The police arrive and hear her crying in the secret room.

Cast

... Inspector Sharkey *

... Geneviève Beaujean *

... Vicky Woolf *

Norman Rodway Norman John Frank Rodway (7 February 1929 – 13 March 2001) was an Anglo-Irish actor. Early life Rodway was born at the family home, Elsinore (named after the castle where Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'' is set), on Coliemore Road, Dalkey, Dublin ...

... Michael Lucas * Mark Singleton ... Arnold Woolf, gallery owner *

Jack Aranson Jack Aranson (29 December 1924 – 3 January 2008) was an American actor, trained in Ireland and England, noted for acting in many Shakespeare plays and several one-man shows. He was one of the last actor/managers, creating and managing several sm ...

... Bill Robson * Robert Lepler ... Max Aaronson, Art Critic *

Angela Douglas Angela Douglas (born 29 October 1940), born Angela McDonagh, is an English actress. Early life Douglas was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire. Career Douglas started acting as a teenager, joining the Worthing, West Sussex repertory comp ...

...

Beatnik Beatniks were members of a social movement in the 1950s that subscribed to an anti-materialistic lifestyle. History In 1948, Jack Kerouac introduced the phrase "Beat Generation", generalizing from his social circle to characterize the undergr ...

* Francis O'Keefe ... Sgt. Johnson *

Noel Sheridan Cecil Noel Sheridan (12 December 1936 – 12 July 2006) was an Irish painter, performance artist, installation artist and actor. He was a member of Aosdána, an elite Irish association of artists. Early life Sheridan was born in Dublin in 1936. ...

... Frenchman Jack * Ronald Walsh ... Bodyguard * John Sterling ... Art Expert *

Frank O'Donovan Frank O'Donovan (10 October 1900 – 28 June 1974) was an Irish actor, singer and songwriter. He is best remembered for playing the character of Batty Brennan for 10 years in Ireland's first TV soap, '' The Riordans''. Personal life He was born i ...

... Manservant * Eithne Lydon ... Receptionist

References

External links

* 1961 films British mystery films Films directed by Max Varnel 1960s English-language films 1960s British films {{1960s-UK-film-stub