The Verdict

Without the box office clout of Warner Brothers leading players, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet made two crackerjack films for their studio, Three Strangers and The Verdict. One only wishes they had done more together.

Greenstreet and Lorre are neighbors in Victorian London and Greenstreet is a Scotland Yard inspector. Another neighbor Morton Lowry has provided invaluable information in the murder of his aunt, a case Greenstreet was assigned to. But after the execution of the suspect which is what began the film, new evidence comes to light proving that an innocent man had been hung.

Greenstreet's rival on the job, George Coulouris practically dances a jig with this news. He's been doing a lot of back channel maneuvering to get Greenstreet canned and himself to take his place. He's truly one hateful dude.

But later on Lowry is found dead in the proverbial locked room and Coulouris is the one now with a baffling case. Greenstreet and his artist friend Peter Lorre who like a bit of a nip now and then are around to offer help which Coulouris would rather die than accept.

How was the murder committee? The only thing I will say on the subject is that when one is good, one can make people believe they see more than they really do.

Lorre and Greenstreet play beautifully off each other and add the presence of Coulouris, you've got the makes of a great film that needs no star power. Such other colorful character players like Paul Cavanaugh, Joan Lorring, Arthur Shields, Rosalind Ivan are also in the cast.

When the solution is given at the end, you'll think it so confounded simple you'll kick yourself you didn't think of it.

Greenstreet and Lorre are not to be missed in any event.

This is one of the finest detective mysteries ever filmed. It is astonishing that the young director Don Siegel showed so much talent so early. Once again we have that wonderful pair, Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre making a masterpiece together. Greenstreet is spellbinding in every scene. Lorre creates a well-rounded three-dimensional character from a two-dimensional part, and makes him eccentric and intriguing. The story is set in 1890 in London, and is based on a novel entitled 'The Big Bow Mystery' by best-selling author Israel Zangwill, which was in turn apparently based on a real case. The plot of the film is one of the most complex and intellectually challenging ever made. It 'out-Sherlocks Sherlock'. The essence of the dilemma is how can a man have his throat cut in a room in which the door and windows are locked and bolted from the inside, and there is no other way in or out. The film is helped a lot by a brilliant performance by Rosalind Ivan as a hysterical landlady who may or may not have murdered her lodger (but how??). The atmosphere is powerful, the filming expressionistic, the style impeccable, and the result magnificent. Greenstreet and Lorre are at the top of their form. This is a film no lover of the genre should miss.

The Verdict is directed by Don Siegel and adapted to screenplay by Peter Milne from the novel The Big Bow Mystery written by Israel Zangwill. It stars Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, George Coulouris, Joann Lorring, Rosalind Ivan and Paul Cavanagh. Music is by Frederick Hollander and cinematography by Ernest Haller.

When Scotland Yard superintendent George Grodman (Greenstreet) in error sends an innocent man to be hanged at Newgate Prison, he is forced to retire in shame. Replaced by the irritable and obnoxious John Buckley (Coulouris), Grodman gets an unexpected opportunity to embarrass Buckley when a tricky murder occurs in a seemingly locked room…

The scene is set from the off, it's 1890 at Newgate Prison in London and a man is hanged off camera. Fog and gas lighted shadows cloak the events to enhance the macabre feel of the event. For the next 80 odd minutes 90% of the story will involve fog or shadows, or both at the same tame, making this very much of interest to the Gothic/noir fan. The story had previously formed the basis of a 1934 film titled as The Crime Doctor.

The story itself is most intriguing, the mystery element remains strong throughout as the suspects are deftly dangled in the plotting by Siegel (directing his first full length feature) and Milne. Just how could a murder be committed in a room completely locked from the inside? The makers ensure that certain areas are kept grey to give off a feeling of confusion, motives and means are deliberately matter of fact and the trusted pairing of Greenstreet and Lorre is a deliciously odd-ball little and large act.

It would be harsh to decry the production for being stage-bound, because although it inevitably is, it doesn't hurt the mood of the picture at all. The story is acted and directed with skill and Haller's photography is in turn beautiful and suitably sinister. 8/10

Fans of SYDNEY GREENSTREET and PETER LORRE should get extra pleasure out of watching these two emote in THE VERDICT, a gaslight era who-dun-it about the perfect locked door crime with a few deft touches that place it above the average mystery thriller.

Greenstreet is impressive as the Scotland Yard detective who loses his job when an innocent man is wrongly hanged. He gets his revenge in an unusual way. Morton Lowry is excellent as the victim and others in the cast all give quality performances--Paul Cavanagh, Peter Lorre, Rosalind Ivan and especially George Coulouris as the man Sydney describes as not big enough to "fill his britches". Only weak casting is Joan Lorring in the role of a lowly music hall singer--her cabaret routine is not the least bit convincing although it doesn't matter much because the film belongs to Greenstreet and Lorre.

As an overly imaginative landlady, Rosalind Ivan is a scream (literally!) Will keep you hooked until the finish.

The Verdict is an absolutely absorbing and ingenious locked-room murder mystery, complete with sheer performances and irresistible gothic atmosphere. Set in London, near the end of the 19th century this intelligent movie handles about a seemly insolvable murder. Superintendent Grodman hunts down the murderer of the man who lives across him…unofficially, because Scotland Yard dismissed him after making a mistake in his previous case, which resulted in the execution of an innocent man. Grodman playfully amuses himself by fooling and not helping Supt. Buckley…the ambitious vulture successor who gladly witnessed Grodman's resignation. The characters and their backgrounds in this film are so fascinating…the speculative possibilities and ‘maybe'-motivations are so left open that the Verdict really became the most unpredictable ‘whodunit' thriller I ever saw. And I'm utterly impressed by that. Director Don Siegel based his film on the novel by Israel Zangwill and I can clearly see why this author often gets referred to as ‘the father detective thrillers'. Both basic plot and screenplay are flawless and compelling, complete with fiendish dialogues. Plus…the atmosphere and structure are genius film-noir and gothic-like which is completely Don Siegel's achievement. Siegel, who shot his first long-feature film with The Verdict delivers one of the most powerful debuts in film history ever. Almost as remarkable as John Huston's debut with The Maltese Falcon, I dare to say… There are constant undertones of diabolicalness present, resulting in a high rate finale that leaves you completely speechless. Terrifically done! At one point, we even receive a pretext of what `12 Angry Men' will look like, 11 (!) years before this one gets released!! Don Siegel's later masterpieces perhaps overshadow this little highlight but, to me, this still is his finest film. And that certainly must mean something, seeing his entire repertoire contains milestone-titles like `Invasion of the Body Snatchers', `The Shootist', `Dirty Harry' and `Escape from Alcatraz'.

Of course, The Verdict wouldn't have been half as memorable as it is now if it weren't for the brilliant acting performances. Peter Lorre on top, and not exclusively since he's one of my top 5 favorite actors ever. Lorre is genius as ever as the amiable cartoon-artist obsessed by the sinister details such as corpse digging and strangling. Like in multiple of his other films, he also has a slight drinking problem which gives the film a tiny comical side-aspect. Sydney Greenstreet (best know as Bogart's concurrent in Casablanca) makes a great Supt. Grodman as he manages to remain distinguished and irritated at the same time. Without the slightest doubt, The Verdict receives a rating 10 out of 10 from me…and naturally, it comes with the highest possible recommendation. I'll even buy you a beer if you can name the murderer's identity before the film is over.