''Blind Corner'' (U.S. ''Man in the Dark'') is a 1964 British

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

directed by

Lance Comfort Lance Comfort (11 August 1908 – 25 August 1966) was an English film director. In a career spanning over 25 years, he became one of the most prolific film directors in Britain, though he never gained critical attention and remained on the ...

and starring

William Sylvester William Sylvester (January 31, 1922 – January 25, 1995) was an American television and film actor. His most famous film credit was Dr. Heywood Floyd in Stanley Kubrick's '' 2001 A Space Odyssey'' (1968). Life and career William Sylves ...

and

Barbara Shelley Barbara Shelley (born Barbara Teresa Kowin; 13 February 1932 – 3 January 2021) was an English film and television actress. She appeared in more than a hundred films and television series. She was particularly known for her work in horror film ...

. It also features popular singer of the time

Ronnie Carroll Ronnie Carroll (born Ronald Cleghorn; 18 August 1934 – 13 April 2015) was a Northern Irish singer, entertainer and political candidate. Career Carroll was born Ronald Cleghorn in 116 Roslyn Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1934, the son o ...

playing himself. The film is a tale of a cold, mercenary and scheming wife finally getting her comeuppance and was publicised with the tagline: "She loved one man for kicks...one man for luxury...one man for murder". The ''Time Out Film Guide'' describes it as "an unassuming but occasionally effective second-feature thriller."Time Out Film Guide, Penguin Books London, 1989, p.62

Plot

Paul Gregory (Sylvester) is a blind but very successful pop music composer, married to the beautiful Anne (Shelley). Anne is having a secret affair with struggling artist Rickie Seldon (

Alexander Davion Alexander Davion, (March 31, 1929 - September 28, 2019) French-born British actor. He was perhaps best known in the UK for his starring role in ''Gideon's Way'' as Detective Chief Inspector David Keen. He was born in Paris, France. He died in Lond ...

), and persuades Paul to commission Rickie to paint her portrait as a pretext to enable them to spend time together. Paul agrees, but after a recording session with Ronnie Carroll he is told by his business partner Mike Williams (

Mark Eden Douglas John Malin (14 February 1928 – 1 January 2021), known professionally as Mark Eden, was an English actor. He was best known for his portrayal of villainous Alan Bradley in ''Coronation Street'' from 1986 to 1989. Early life Mark Ede ...

) that Anne and Rickie have been seen about town together in circumstances which leave no doubt that they are more than friends. Paul knows that Mike has always disliked Anne and suspects he may be trouble-causing, but is finally persuaded of the validity of his allegations. Paul makes it clear to Anne that he has found out about the affair and threatens to leave her. Fearing her meal-ticket is about to disappear, she tells Rickie that they will have to arrange an "accident" to Paul by getting him drunk and pushing him off the balcony of their home. If Rickie does not agree, she suggests, their affair must end. The plan is attempted, but is botched by Rickie, whose heart is not really in it. After a struggle, he and Paul start to talk and Paul tells him to open his eyes to Anne's true nature, suggesting that she may well be double-crossing him too. Rickie, having no personal antipathy towards Paul, comes to the conclusion that he may be right. The pair end up forming an unlikely alliance, unknown to Anne, to try to entrap her into revealing her true motives. Between them they manage to set her up, and discover that the serious romance is between Anne and Mike, who have managed to hide it for so long by the public pretence of mutual antagonism and loathing. In fact the whole scheme had been concocted with Rickie in mind as a convenient

fall guy Fall guy is a colloquial phrase that refers to a person to whom blame is deliberately and falsely attributed in order to deflect blame from another party. Origin The origin of the term "fall guy" is unknown and contentious. Many sources place ...

, there to take the rap if suspicions were aroused about Paul's death. Paul and Rickie then set about meting out appropriate justice on the perfidious pair.

Cast

as Paul Gregory *

as Anne Gregory *

as Rickie Seldon *

Elizabeth Shepherd Elizabeth Shepherd (born 12 August 1936) is an English character actress whose long career has encompassed the stage and both the big and small screens. Her television work has been especially prolific. Shepherd's surname has been variously ren ...

as Joan Marshall *

as Mike Williams *

as Ronnie *

Barry Alldis Barry Alldis (5 December 1930 – 21 November 1982) was an Australian presenter on British radio, most notably on the English service of Radio Luxembourg. Alldis' contribution to UK radio is commemorated in the Radio Academy's Hall of Fame. Broa ...

as Compere * Edward Evans as Chauffeur * Frank Forsyth as Policeman

References

External links

*
''Blind Corner''
at BFI Film & TV Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Blind Corner 1963 films 1960s thriller films British thriller films British black-and-white films Films directed by Lance Comfort Films about blind people Films shot at Pinewood Studios 1960s English-language films 1960s British films