''Three Cases of Murder'' is a 1955 British horror

omnibus film An anthology film (also known as an omnibus film, package film, or portmanteau film) is a single film consisting of several shorter films, each complete in itself and distinguished from the other, though frequently tied together by a single theme ...

comprising three stories: "The Picture," "You Killed Elizabeth," and "Lord Mountdrago."

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

introduces each.

Alan Badel Alan Fernand Badel (; 11 September 1923 – 19 March 1982) was an English stage actor who also appeared frequently in the cinema, radio and television and was noted for his richly textured voice which was once described as "the sound of tears". ...

appears in all three.John Hamilton, ''The British Independent Horror Film 1951-70'' Hemlock Books 2013 p 24-27

Cast

Main cast

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

as Lord Mountdrago ("Lord Mountdrago" segment) *

John Gregson Harold Thomas Gregson (15 March 1919 – 8 January 1975), known professionally as John Gregson, was an English actor of stage, television and film, with 40 credited film roles. He was best known for his crime drama and comedy roles. He was cr ...

as Edgar Curtain ("You Killed Elizabeth" segment) *

Elizabeth Sellars Elizabeth Macdonald Sellars (6 May 1921 – 30 December 2019) was a Scottish actress. Early life and education Sellars was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the daughter of Stephen Sellars and Jean Sutherland. She appeared on the stage from the age o ...

as Elizabeth ("You Killed Elizabeth" segment) * Emrys Jones as George Wheeler ("You Killed Elizabeth" segment) *

as Owen (segment "Lord Mountdrago") / Mr. X (segment "In the Picture") / Harry (segment "You Killed Elizabeth") *

André Morell Cecil André Mesritz (20 August 1909 – 28 November 1978), known professionally as André Morell, was an English actor. He appeared frequently in theatre, film and on television from the 1930s to the 1970s. His best known screen roles were as ...

as Dr. Audlin ("Lord Mountdrago" segment) *

Hugh Pryse Hugh Pryse (1910–1955) was a British character actor. He was born on 11 November 1910 with the name John Hwfa Pryse, and was billed as Hwfa Pryse in the films ''Penn of Pennsylvania'' and '' "Pimpernel" Smith. His stage work included Peter Br ...

as Jarvis ("In the Picture" segment) *

Leueen MacGrath Leueen MacGrath (3 July 1914 – 27 March 1992) was an English actress and playwright and the second wife of George S. Kaufman, from 1949 until their divorce in 1957. Early years Born in London, England, MacGrath was a graduate of the Royal ...

as Woman in the House ("In the Picture" segment) *

Eddie Byrne Eddie Byrne (31 January 1911 – 21 August 1981) was an Irish actor. Career His stage work included many appearances with Dublin's Abbey Theatre, and also work with the National Theatre in London. Outside Ireland he is probably best known ...

as Snyder ("In the Picture" segment) *

Helen Cherry Helen Mary Cherry (24 November 1915 – 27 September 2001) was an English stage, film and television actress. She was born in Worsley, Lancashire, and brought up in Harrogate, West Riding of Yorkshire. Marriage Whilst working at the Arts Thea ...

as Lady Mountdrago ("Lord Mountdrago" segment) *

as Introductions

Supporting cast

* Peter Burton as Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs (segment "Lord Mountdrago") *

Philip Dale Phillip Dale (born 8 August 1962 in Melbourne), is an Australian former minor league baseball player and is currently a coach with the Australia national baseball team. Dale has had a long and illustrious baseball career and was the first Aust ...

as Sgt. Mallot (segment "You Killed Elizabeth") * Christina Forrest as Susan (segment "You Killed Elizabeth") * Evelyn Hall as Lady Connemara (segment "Lord Mountdrago") * Ann Hanslip as The Girl (segment "In the Picture") * David Horne as Sir James (segment "Lord Mountdrago") * John Humphry as Private Secretary (segment "Lord Mountdrago") *

Maurice Kaufmann Maurice Harington Kaufmann (29 June 1927 – 21 September 1997) was a British actor of stage, film and television, who specialised in whodunits and horror films, from 1954 to 1981, when he retired. Personal life He was married to Honor Blackm ...

as Pemberton (segment "You Killed Elizabeth") * Jack Lambert as Inspector Acheson ("You Killed Elizabeth" segment) *

Zena Marshall Zena Moyra Marshall (1 January 1926 – 10 July 2009) was a British actress of film and television, who was born in Kenya. Early years Marshall was of English, Irish and (on her mother's side) French descent. Though born in Kenya, after her ...

as Beautiful Blonde (segment "Lord Mountdrago") *

John Salew John Rylett Salew (1902 (some sources state 1 January 1897)14 September 1961) was an English stage film and TV actor. Salew made the transition from stage to films in 1939, and according to Allmovie, "the manpower shortage during WWII enabled ...

as Rooke ("In the Picture" segment) *

Harry Welchman Harry Welchman (24 February 1886 – 3 January 1966) was an English star of musical theatre. He made several appearances in non-musical plays, but was remembered as, in the words of ''The Times'', "perhaps the most popular musical comedy hero on th ...

as Connoisseur (segment "In the Picture") * Colette Wilde as Jane (segment "You Killed Elizabeth") *

Arthur Wontner Arthur Wontner (21 January 1875 – 10 July 1960) was a British actor best known for playing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's master detective Sherlock Holmes in five films from 1931 to 1937. Career Wontner's acting career began on the stage where he ...

as Leader of the House (segment "Lord Mountdrago")

Uncredited/Cameo cast

Patrick Macnee Daniel Patrick Macnee (6 February 1922 – 25 June 2015) was a British film and television actor. After serving in the Royal Navy during World War II, he began his acting career in Canada. Despite having some small film roles, Macnee spent much ...

as Guard Subaltern * Marc Sheldon as Man in Background

Production

The first and third stories deal with the supernatural. In the first, "In the Picture", a museum worker enters one of the pictures in a gallery. In the second, "You Killed Elizabeth", two friends fall in love with the same woman. In the third, "Lord Mountdrago", a dramatization of a short story by

W. Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

from his collection ''

The Mixture as Before ''The Mixture as Before'' is a collection of 10 short stories by the British writer W. Somerset Maugham, first published by William Heinemann in 1940.Wendy Toye Beryl May Jessie Toye, (1 May 1917 – 27 February 2010), known professionally as Wendy Toye, was a British dancer, stage and film director and actress. Life and career Toye was born in London. She initially worked as a dancer and choreographer ...

directed "In the Picture";

David Eady Sir David Eady, KC (born 24 March 1943) is a retired High Court judge in England and Wales. As a judge, he is known for having presided over many high-profile libel and privacy cases. He was called to the bar in 1966 and became a Queen's ...

, "You Killed Elizabeth"; and

George More O'Ferrall Edward George More O'Ferrall (4 July 1907 – 18 March 1982) was a pioneering British film and television producer and director, as well as an actor. Biography More O'Ferrall was born in Bristol, England, to an aristocratic Anglo-Irish family. ...

, "Lord Mountdrago."

received top billing, but he appears only in "Lord Mountdrago". According to

, who had a supporting role, Welles began making suggestions to director George More O'Ferrall throughout the first day of filming, and by the third day he had taken over the direction of the entire segment.

Reception

The presence of Orson Welles in the cast meant the film was released in the US before the UK. The film was turned down for exhibition in the UK by both the Rank and Associated British chains. They claimed that the film was mediocre and that Welles was not a big enough box office draw to compensate for this.

References

External links

* * * 1955 films 1950s crime films British mystery films British anthology films British crime films British black-and-white films Films directed by David Eady Films directed by George More O'Ferrall Films directed by Wendy Toye Films produced by Ian Dalrymple Films with screenplays by Ian Dalrymple 1950s English-language films 1950s British films {{1950s-crime-film-stub