Lady of Vengeance

It's one of Dennis O'Keefe's latter days movies, but Anton Diffring steals the show from him ,in his portrayal of an almost mad philatelist who would do anything to get an invaluable stamp, a genuine item O'Keefe bought in an auction sale ; the stamp collector is so lured by this rare item he accepts to become a hired killer.

The title sets the tone: the lady seeks vengeance ; but as she threw herself under a train, it's her guardian who is asked (by a beyond the grave letter) to do the job.

The movie sometimes drags on (and the female part is insignificant) but the last fifteen minutes will keep you glued to your chair ; the lady seems to have risen from the dead to enjoy her vengeance ; the recorded tape adds to a fine suspense .

The plot description at IMDb is wrong: it's not about a man who gets caught up in a string of killings. There's only one attempt at killing by DENNIS O'KEEFE--and that's all.

The ingredients are here for much more suspense than is actually generated. Trouble is the script is too long-winded before it gets to the point. The result is a flat effect, too much exposition before the plot gets down to serious business.

In the meantime, ANTON DIFFRING does a commendable job of playing a very polished, very assured contract killer who hopes, as a reward, to get ownership of one of the most valuable stamps in the world. It's an offer he can't resist. Seems that DENNIS O'KEEFE is intent on finding someone to kill his niece in an act of revenge after her sudden suicide death which can be traced to the "Mr. X" who must be destroyed.

The plot twist is a good one, but it takes too long to get to that point and by that time a viewer is apt to lose interest in the slow-paced story.

Summing up: Could have been scripted a lot tighter for more suspense.

There is actually one murder here, but you never learn anything about it, it is never explained, the murderer is anonymous and there is no reason for it. Indeed, the film starts directly with a startling death, but that is a suicide, and even that leaves you hanging in the air to start with - did she really die, and why did she do it? Well, it is explained later on, as she leaves behind a letter to her jealous guardian, who warned her earlier not to lead such a wanton life, and you are constantly led to believe her trombonist boy friend to be the reason for her misery, whom she commands her guardian to take revenge in for her death, but he isn't. The intrigue is more subtle than that.

Actually there is a murder being meticulously planned all the way through the film, but will it finally be committed, and on whom? That is the question that will keep up your interest until the final surprising end, but there will be no real murderer here except the anonymous one who is never known but who might be the final victim of his own wickedness.

This sounds like an enigmatic riddle indeed, and it is, the construction of the film and drama is an intentional puzzlement, and it gets more contrived all the way - nothing in it is really natural. It is a typical role for Dennis O'Keefe, who is notorious for his unsympathetic leads, and this role confirms the rule. He is a rich newspaper mogul who can afford whatever he pleases in roundabout measures, and he certainly makes his own case complicated here. The only decent and natural person in the film is his secretary, Ann Sears, who is the one who behaves humanly, and she is perhaps the one who saves the film.

"Lady of Vengeance" from 1957 could have been better, yes, but it is what it is -- one of those "B" British films that can be kind of fun.

This one stars Dennis O'Keefe, who made several of these types of films.

Dennis O'Keefe plays a newspaper mogul, William Marshall, whose ward (Eileen Elton) committed suicide. He receives a letter from her after her death that tells the story of what led her to such a drastic act.

Marshall approaches a stamp collector named Karnak (Anton Diffring) in order to get his help in committing a murder, on one condition: the victim must suffer a slow, painful death.

In other hands, this might have been terrific; here it comes off as average, due to a distracting subplot and the fact that the script could have been tighter.

Most notable about this film is the performance of Anton Diffring, a striking actor both in looks and persona, who worked in character roles in films in Britain, Germany, and in international films such as Fahrenheit 451. He died in 1989, possibly from AIDS. He gives a marvelous performance here and it's easily the best thing about the film.

A very obscure US British production for sure, not widely known, but rather good to watch. I will prefer Anton Diffring here than a very predictable Dennis O'Keefe in a Alfred Hitchcock style like plot. Forgettable film, obviously but acceptable and fun to watch. Good period atmosphere, noir atmosphere but unfortunately a bit bland and flat. Burt Balaban gives here his first picture and the following ones will be far better: MURDER INC and MAD DOG COLL, two gangsters stories. So, this one is worth seeing if you can reach it and have nothing else to do, and also if you are a die hard movie collector or gem seeker. Excellent ending, far above average.