Murder at 3am

Police inspector Dennis Price is called on to investigate a string of murders. The victims are women, their jewelry and cash is taken, and the murders always take place about 3AM. As the investigation advances, he comes to believe the perpetrator is Philip Saville, the boyfriend of his sister, Peggy Evans.

It's a cheap quota quicky directed by uninspired director Francis Searle. Price doesn't offer much in the way of an interesting performance. He is too unemotional and efficient, with no sign of brilliance, resulting in something like a procedural movie; it's a type of mystery that doesn't appeal to me. In addition, Eric Spear has provided an overwrought score performed on the organ that is downright annoying.

B Movies, in this case D or E movies do not come much better to British lovers of old long forgotten gems of which this is a crackerjack. It Has all the ingredients to delight, a terrible central lead, a silly plot, a villain known as MISTER X, and a mystery you will never see it coming twist ending, that is outrageously terrible. The second unit photography of London streets and scenes, that centers on the Thames river scene of 65 years ago is an entertainment in it's own, while the plot is like a watered down saturday morning serial, and all the more marvelous for it. I loved this movie, it is a hoot, a classic when terrible is actually wonderful. Do watch and do enjoy!

Stars Dennis Price as a Scotland Yard Inspector investigating a series of murders. The killer targets lone women after they've left London nightclubs, always striking soon after 3am. The manner of killing suggests the murderer is a former commando - something that soon has the Inspector looking a little closer to home than he'd like...

Watching the police piece together what they can from the few clues available is interesting (one thing I like about these old thrillers is how they pretty accurately show the 'leg-work' involved; some while back I worked for the Metropolitan Police for a few years, and whilst the technology might have changed, the basics of how they ran their investigations really hadn't!). A good supporting cast - including Peggy Evans, Rex Garner, and Philip Saville - tops off a solid story. 6/10.

The interesting part of this quota quickie is the presence of Philip Saville. He plays Edward King, a crime writer who is engaged to marry Joan. The sister of Inspector Lawson (Dennis Price.)

Joan had a whirlwind romance with Edward who is struggling writer and helps out Lawson in his latest case.

A series of attacks on young well to do women, all taking place at 3 O'Clock in the morning. The women were killed and robbed.

The dead women all left London nightclubs just before they shut. Edward notices a pattern regarding the names of the clubs.

Only Inspector Lawson soon suspects Edward King himself. He uses his own sister as bait to trap Edward.

It was surprising to see Price doing B movies so early in his career. This is cheap and looks cheap. It even drags out its short run time. The twist at the end is hard to take and is off the wall.

Philip Saville gave up acting by the end of the 1950s. He made his name as a television director. His landmark dramas include Boys from the Blackstuff and The Life and Loves of a She-Devil.

MURDER AT 3AM is a short and cheap British crime film, directed by the one and only Francis Searle - a man who made more low budget films than any other, seemingly. I wonder what he would have done with a real budget? This stolid little film is notable only for featuring a lead role for Dennis Price, one of the biggest name stars to appear in one of Searle's films.

The story is about a serial killer on the loose who makes a habit of murdering women on the street at precisely 3 am. The police desperately search for patterns and soon discover links to a local shipyard and gradually - very gradually - they work to bringing the murderer to justice.

Sadly, MURDER AT 3AM just isn't very good as a crime film. The crime aspects are kept limited and the police procedural stuff is by rote. Price can do nothing with his part and only Leonard Sharp shines as the booze-addled old skipper who helps to solve the crime. The finale features a silly plot twist which is impossible to take seriously.