A Question of Suspense

Downtrodden accountant Frank Brigstock (Norman Rodway) has always lived in the shadow of his boss and childhood friend Jim Drew (Peter Reynolds). By chance Frank discovers that Drew has deposited forged bonds in the company's bank account and seizes his chance . It's not blackmail, he simply wants to bring his boss down. Unfortunately he just isn't sharp enough and is bamboozled by Drew offering him a partnership and promising to clean up his act. Frank agrees but then is lured to a remote seaside location where Drew disposes of him. The bond fraud is discovered and the fact that Frank has disappeared points to him being responsible. Perfect! Until "Mrs Brigstock". (Noelle Middleton) puts in an appearance and things get very complicated for Drew.

Not a great film and there is little in the way of real suspense since it is obvious that the lady suspects Drew is up to no good but, it will fill a spare hour on a wet afternoon if you're not too fussy.

Another forgotten, if anyone knew it ever existed, 'B' movie shown on Talking Pictures. They seem to have a never ending stream of these old British films from the 50's & 60's. This one is just an hour long and was actually shot in Ireland and is certainly worth watching. The story revolves around a crooked business man, Peter Reynolds, his less successful school friend,Norman Rodway, who becomes his downtrodden employee and their mutual schoolboy crush, played by Yvonne Buckingham. Norman finds out about Peter Reynolds bond forging scam and attempts blackmail. Big mistake.

One quibble I would have about this film is the title. It is not at all suspenseful as we always see what is going on with no major shocks or even mild surprises, but as an entertaining hour with decent acting, it fits the bill.

This B/C grade thriller is hampered from the start by being obviously a product of an Irish studio, and yet insists on trying to convince us that the action takes place in the UK., with allusions to the big city - ie London- and with the police (not Garda) conversing in received English. This is a strange anomaly, as the beautiful Irish locations could've been used to greater effect.

The plot is a confection of murder, double cross, desire and greed, yet with all those ingredients still fails to hit the spot . Maybe it's because Peter Reynolds always appears just too darned nice to be a genuinely bad guy; also he appears to be burdened with an ill fitting hairpiece in this one to add to our sympathies (maybe it's just the camera angles). Noelle Middleton is certainly an unusual leading lady who, as one Reviewer has noted, transforms from Fusty to Foxy, with one deft removal of her unflattering specs...

While not an especially well-known feature, Max Varnel's briskly entertaining 'A Question of Suspense' proves itself to be a lively, capably acted, terrifically twisty-turny Noirish British crime melodrama from the more than capable director of the no less absorbing Anton Diffring-led B-thriller 'Enter Inspector Duval' (1961), while, perhaps, not quite as dynamic as the latter, this dastardly nefarious tale concerning demonstratively shady business dealings, and callous murder remains a smart, effective, if a little routine 60s B-Thriller, and while somewhat formulaic in style, it still simmers along politely to an amusingly theatrical climax! While the talented cast all equipped themselves rather splendidly, once again, I was taken by the sinisterly smooth acting stylings of the delightfully charismatic actor Peter Reynolds as the devilishly glib, Machiavellian heel Jim Tellman Drew, and the ravishing brunette Yvonne Buckingham is certainly easy on the eye! This is most certainly a worthwhile watch for rabid fans of vintage British crime drama.

The basic plot of this 1961 movie seems to be borrowed for Danger By My Side (1962). In that crime film, Maureen Connell is out to trap the killer of her brother by cozying up to the murderer after glamming herself up. In A Question of Suspense, Noelle Middleton glams up to get the murderer of her man. It's an okay programmer if entirely predictable and done a hundred times. Yvonne Buckingham is the killer's secretary and is wasted in that minor role. I never understood the producers and casting directors who underappreciated this beauty, always giving her nothing parts. She should have gotten the lead in this picture.