The Stateless Man

Edgar Lustgarten introduces yet another murder, the death of Hazel Sutton. Detectives instantly hunt for Karol Slavik, who's landlady claims to have found him leaning over Hazel's body, clutching a knife.

It's a solid enough, if decidedly unremarkable episode, definitely a reminder that life in The UK back in 1955 was very different, with constant talk of 'those' foreigners.

You'd never know that Slavik was a foreigner, they only tell us about thirty six times over. It's an interesting enough mystery, did he or didn't he, you have to wait to find out.

Solid performances all round, I really liked the landlady, she was definitely an interesting character, you could only imagine the type of boarding house that she kept!

6/10.

This is an interesting tale, released at a time when immigration was on the agenda as never before. The action takes place in and around Heathrow, as well as in the seamier suburbs of London, and involved a young blonde murdered, with suspicion descending on her landlady's son (the 'stateless man' of the title.)

Slavik is the stateless man of the title. An illegal immigrant framed for murder.

The landlady of a seedy boarding house saw Slavik leaning over his girlfriend's dead body.

When Slavik is caught by the police, he pleads his innocence. He claims that he was lured to his girlfriend's room by an anonymous phone call.

The police check Slavik's story out, especially about the hidden money in the floorboards. Money that he and his girlfriend were saving up.

A diverting tale about how immigrants can easily be scapegoated but it is no great shakes. Especially when it becomes clear that the landlady has recently bought an expensive fur coat and the police ask questions about her son.