Mystery at Monstein

Out-of-the ordinary short, which boasts some wonderful cinematography and rich monochrome landscapes of the snowy Alps. Storyline doesn't live up to the grandeur, but I can understand the use of narration in place of dialogue; it saves money - who wants to cart sound equipment up a mountain? It allows the use of non-English speaking actors and extras, and it also means it can be dubbed by one voice for international sales. Quaint, interesting and captivating despite the plot. Well worth a look.

On seeing this I thought that this may have been a Swiss production.However on reading one of the reviews I realised that this method of production was probably utilised by the British production company to save money.The problem is that the narration detracts from any suspense because it often tells you what will happen.The BBC utilised this sort of narration when they brought in foreign language programmes for children's television.

This is quite a fun piece - distinctive because it lacks any direct dialogue from the cast, it is simply narrated by Peter Ihle. Set amidst some spectacular Alpine scenery, a tiny village is rocked by a murder and the narrative now recounts just how exactly that happened. The presentation suffers from that style of production, however - the narrative frequently warns you of what to expect before you expect it, and as such the mystery is rather negated. The ending is quite good, though - it certainly reinforced my long-held trypanophobia. It's only half an hour, and the photography is decent enough so do give to a go...

I have just watched this concise murder story on the UK TV channel Talking Pictures TV, which specialises in old films and TV series.

Mystery at Monstein includes footage of a single horse four-wheel carriage, a 'crocodile' electric locomotive hauling a local train, and a Series One Land Rover - with brief shots of a funicular railway. A nice collection of material for the transport enthusiast.

A young man supects foul play when a young skier goes missing in the mountains. A neat little murder mystery with an unknown cast - literally, as they are not credited - and narration instead of dialogue. Features some beautiful shots of the Alps.