A Question of Suspense

Another forgotten, if anyone knew it ever existed, 'B' movie shown on Talking Pictures. They seem to have a never ending stream of these old British films from the 50's & 60's. This one is just an hour long and was actually shot in Ireland and is certainly worth watching. The story revolves around a crooked business man, Peter Reynolds, his less successful school friend,Norman Rodway, who becomes his downtrodden employee and their mutual schoolboy crush, played by Yvonne Buckingham. Norman finds out about Peter Reynolds bond forging scam and attempts blackmail. Big mistake.

One quibble I would have about this film is the title. It is not at all suspenseful as we always see what is going on with no major shocks or even mild surprises, but as an entertaining hour with decent acting, it fits the bill.

While not an especially well-known feature, Max Varnel's briskly entertaining 'A Question of Suspense' proves itself to be a lively, capably acted, terrifically twisty-turny Noirish British crime melodrama from the more than capable director of the no less absorbing Anton Diffring-led B-thriller 'Enter Inspector Duval' (1961), while, perhaps, not quite as dynamic as the latter, this dastardly nefarious tale concerning demonstratively shady business dealings, and callous murder remains a smart, effective, if a little routine 60s B-Thriller, and while somewhat formulaic in style, it still simmers along politely to an amusingly theatrical climax! While the talented cast all equipped themselves rather splendidly, once again, I was taken by the sinisterly smooth acting stylings of the delightfully charismatic actor Peter Reynolds as the devilishly glib, Machiavellian heel Jim Tellman Drew, and the ravishing brunette Yvonne Buckingham is certainly easy on the eye! This is most certainly a worthwhile watch for rabid fans of vintage British crime drama.

It's a likeable thriller with a brisk tempo and fluent dialog all the way, the intrigue being transparent though as soon as Frank is gone missing. Peter Reynolds makes a perfectly credible performance as a double dealer in every way, while he is taken aback by the appearance of Noelle Middleton, the love of his youth and of his colleague Frank's, when she takes him by surprise by demonstrating herself as Frank's wife. Peter never thought he had one and least of all the one they both adored as youngsters. Well, she isn't really Frank's wife, but they did find each other again in mature days and started being together, so she has reasons enough to worry about him like a wife. You really start to worry already when he and Frank go out together to the sea with a pickaxe and a shovel and start digging like for a hidden treasure of their youth, and your darkest misgivings will gradually materialise. It's a sinister drama dressed in elegance, Peter Reynolds is a rich man who can afford being generous, and it takes some time before he starts to suspect any threat to his illusions. It's a great pastime, like any Agatha Christie thriller, and you will find all the pieces fitting into the jigsaw puzzle with a few shocks for a solution.

The less you know about the story, the more you are likely to enjoy it. At little more than an hour long, this is a brisk little thriller powered by a decent story. The acting is variable, with the lead doing most of the heavy lifting, but with some decent sets, location shooting (in Ireland) and a plot that rattles along like a clockwork toy this passes the time agreeably enough.

Another garrulous crime quickie made at Ardmore Studios disinterred by Talking Pictures, but a good cut above their dire 'Enter Inspector Duval' screened two nights ago.

This makes less attempt to conceal it's Irish provenance, and boasts some attractive location work, as well as a formidable female lead in Noelle Middleton, who transforms herself from a mouse into a fox by the time-honoured ruse of leaving her glasses off and changing her hairstyle.