The Voice of Merrill

Murder Will Out opens with, what else, a murder. Specifically of a woman who had an involvement with three men, struggling author Edward Underdown, publisher Henry Kendall, and successful author James Robertson Justice self described as the Field Marshal of English Letters. Robertson Justice is married quite unhappily to Valerie Hobson who shows quite a bit of her most famous screen character Estella from Great Expectations.

Hobson takes her character from Dickens, but Robertson Justice is a British version of Waldo Lydecker from Laura. Mix these two together and you've got the recipe of an English murder mystery with some real bite and a few clever plot twists in the end.

All three of the men and possibly Hobson have some good reason to murder the victim. None of the men have a satisfactory alibi for the time of the murder so Scotland Yard in the persons of Inspector Garry Marsh and Sergeant Sam Kydd have only to wait it out, watch and observe, and see if this resolves itself.

Like some of our B films you occasionally find a real nugget among them and Murder Will Out, a quota quickie over in the UK, definitely fills that bill.

You will particularly love what James Robertson Justice and Valerie Hobson do with their characters. If you're a fan of English murder mysteries this one is a hidden gem.

A woman is dead in her flat. It turns out that she was not a good girl, although I write that not in its usual sense. She was a blackmailer, and police inspector Garry Marsh interviews four persons of interest: her employer - for her day job - publisher Henry Kendall; Edward Underdown, who has had two books published by Kendall, but has failed to impress the critics or the public; John Robertson Justice, Kendall's most famous and successful author; and Valerie Hobson, Justice's wife, and Underdown's lover. While the investigation hangs fire, Justice, dying, works out a plan of vengeance that is very obscure until the end.

That's why I am willing to forgive a small imbecility whose only purpose is to increase the tension. It's a fine, suspenseful thriller that keeps the audience guessing as to what's going on, and who killed the dead woman.... even though she isn't mentioned after the first ten minutes until nearly the end. That, and Mr. Justice, playing one of his signature roles: brilliant, self-absorbed, self-award, witty at his own expense, and a tyrant feared by all who know him. Plus, if the role called for it, an expert falconer in real life. It's a pity, but I think it never did.

This top cast made this cheap B movie into an A event. Writer-director John Gilling never did better by himself.

The Voice of Merrill (AKA: Murder Will Out) is directed by John Gilling who also adapts the screenplay from a story written by Terence Austin and Gerald Landeau. It stars Valerie Hobson, James Robertson Justice, Edward Underdown, Gary Marsh and Henry Kendall. Music is by Frank Cordell and cinematography by Monty Berman.

A British Who Done It? Thriller Out of Tempean Films, The Voice of Merrill begins with the murder of a pretty lady, the perpetrator unseen of course, and thus begins a tale of blackmail, illicit affairs, dastardly plotting, sleuthing and the vagaries of fate. It's a complex screenplay in many ways, perhaps unnecessary so, and Gilling strains to make all the threads amount to anything akin to suspense. However, once the momentum builds, and the net closes in on the suspects, the makers unleash some genuine surprises that in turn lead to a dramatic climax of some memorable impact. The acting is only OK, though it's always fun to see Robertson Justice doing one of his big bluff cantankerous acts. 6.5/10

A female blackmailer is murdered, and three suspects emerge in "The Voice of Merrill," known in the US as "Murder Will Out."

Publisher Parker (Henry Kendall), up-and-coming writer Hugh (Edward Underdown), and Jonathan (James Robertson Justice) are the three who may have been involved in her murder.

Jonathan is married to Alycia (Valerie Hobson), but the marriage is not a happy one. She meets Hugh, and they fall in love. Hugh was due to meet the victim for dinner the night she was killed.

Ambitious for Hugh, Alycia organizes a radio series of her husband's old stories. The show is called The Voice of Merrill. It becomes extremely popular, with people wondering about the identity of the voice.

Alycia wants to tell the press that the writer of the stories is actually Hugh and not her husband. Jonathon has a severe heart problem and not expected to live. He never cared about claiming authorship of the stories. However, seeing the show's success, he decides to make trouble. The last story in the series, still allegedly written by Hugh, is a pip!

The murder of the blackmailer is revealed, but it's actually secondary to the triangle of Jonathan-Alycia-Hugh. There's a twist at the end of the film.

This is a little long and draggy, but Robertson Justice and Hobson really make the film. Robertson Justice reminds me of Peter Ustinov physically. The character has a tremendous wit and has some great dialogue. Underdown is handsome, but his character has the least to do. He was Ian Fleming's choice for James Bond, but the producer never really considered him.

This was a B movie that over time was elevated to an A over time.

"The Voice Of Merrill" aka "Murder Will Out" (1952) is the kind of film best watched on a cold day under warm covers. It doesn't attempt any major filmmaking innovations, but it is a solid example of what is often affectionately called the "cozy" British whodunit. Actually, it begins as a whodunit, but develops into a new when-will-it-be-done tale involving some of the main suspects, until both plot threads get tied up at the end. James Robertson Justice steals the show as a sharp-tongued author. Overall, it's familiar material well-done; only the very ending is slightly too abrupt. *** out of 4.