Inquest

This early Boulting brothers film is a low budget quickie based on a stage play with an axe to grind on the role of the Coroner's court.

However the Boutlings turn this into superior courtroom drama with some comedy presided over a fussy, supercilious, biased and officious Coroner.

A gun is found hidden behind a wall in an attic with what looks like a bullet being fired. A young woman who was the previous occupier of the house ends up being accused of killing her husband who was previously labelled as dying of heart failure. The Coroner's inquest will decide the actual cause of death and his verdict could lead to the young woman being sent to stand trial for murder in the Old Bailey.

A distinguished King's Counsel who is a family friend is acting for her, but the widow wants to maintain her silence and is fatalistic. It seems she is protecting somebody and her case is also hampered by the attitude of the Coroner.

This is actually a rather enjoyable yarn, the denouement was slightly complicated and unlikely. The setting kind of gives the film's stage bound origins away.

INQUEST is a short, early effort from the famous Boulting brothers, a film that was originally based on a stage play which becomes apparent in the single location nature of the proceedings. And what a delight it is to watch. Initially when I read that this was a courtroom drama exposing the workings of the coroner's court, I thought it would be dry beyond belief and more than a little dull given the era.

Not at all. In fact, this is almost a comedy, with the cast giving occasionally histrionic turns as the script requires, and it's certainly very funny despite the deadly serious nature of the narrative. In essence, a young woman is accused of her husband's murder when her gun is found hidden behind a wall and missing a bullet that was lodged in her husband's back.

The rest of the story is made up of the court trial as the facts of the case go back and forth. And what this all boils down to in actuality is a battle of wits between the fussy and old-fashioned coroner, played by Herbert Lomas, and the idealistic KC, played with relish by Hay Petrie. These two guys argue their points, engage in shouting matches, and overact with relish. They alone are responsible for much of this film's entertainment value, such as it is, and both actors deserve commendations for making the antics of their characters so enjoyable to watch.

A woman (Elizabeth Allen) is accused of the murder of her husband several years before after the discovery of a gun and her life is in the balance at an inquest in a coroner's court.

An early quota quickie from the Boulting brothers (Roy directed and brother John produced). It makes for surprisingly dull viewing despite its short length.

A garrulous early production by Roy Boulting's company Charter Films, rather obviously based on a play.

Marking one of the last leading roles by the radiant young Elizabeth Allan in her only appearance in a Boulting's production, the cast already includes several regulars, some of whom, like Ian Wilson and Olive Sloane, were both still appearing for the brothers in the sixties (the latter already propping up a bar ten years before 'Seven Days to Noon').

The Boulting Brothers had a long and fairly distinguished career which stretched from the 30s into the 70s.They started,as did many technicians of that era in quota quickies.This film is a whodunit played out during the course of a Coroners Inquest. Herbert Lomas plays the rather tetchy coroner,who being wound up by the ever present police officer,wants to thwart the eager eyed barrister,played by Hay Petrie from taking the spotlight off of him.Eventually,mainly through the efforts of petrie we discover who killed the deceased the subject of the inquest.It does become rather convoluted and slightly difficult to follow.Elizabeth Allen maintains her silence almost to the end,which is rather unbelievable when her silence is likely to lead her straight to the Old Bailey.No better or worse than many similar films of the same genre.