The Long Dark Hall

The Long Dark Hall
The Long Dark Hall
	U.S. theatrical poster
Directed by	Reginald Beck; Anthony Bushell;
Written by	Nunnally Johnson
Based on	A Case to Answer; by Edgar Lustgarten
Produced by	Peter Cusick
Starring	Rex Harrison; Lilli Palmer;
Cinematography	Wilkie Cooper
Edited by	Tom Simpson
Music by	Benjamin Frankel
Production; companies	London Films; Five Ocean Films Ltd.; Cusick International Films
Distributed by	British Lion Films
Release date	6 February 1951 (UK);
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Long Dark Hall is a 1951 British mystery, suspense, courtroom-drama, crime film directed by Reginald Beck and Anthony Bushell and starring Rex Harrison, Lilli Palmer and Raymond Huntley. It was based on the 1947 novel A Case to Answer by Edgar Lustgarten. It was made at Walton Studios.

Plot

After a showgirl begins an affair with Arthur Groome, a married man, she is found murdered. Groome discovers her body but fearing his wife's knowledge of his affair he does not summon the police; he soon becomes the prime suspect for the murder.^[1] Most of the film portrays the trial of Groome at the Old Bailey, London.

Cast

Rex Harrison - Arthur Groome
Lilli Palmer - Mary Groome
Tania Heald - Sheila Groome
Henrietta Barry - Rosemary Groome
Dora Sevening - Mary's mother
Ronald Simpson - Mary's father
Raymond Huntley - Chief Inspector Sullivan
William Squire - Sergeant Cochran
Ballard Berkeley - Superintendent Maxey
Anthony Dawson - The Man
Denis O'Dea - Sir Charles Morton
Anthony Bushell - Clive Bedford
Henry B. Longhurst - Judge
Patricia Cutts - Rose Mallory
Meriel Forbes - Marjorie Danns
Brenda De Banzie - Mrs Rogers
Douglas Jefferies - Dr. Conway
Fletcher Lightfoot - Jury Foreman
Anthony Shaw - Clerk of the Court
Michael Medwin - Leslie Scott
Colin Gordon - Pound
Lionel Murton - Jefferson (US version only)
Eric Pohlmann - Mr Polaris
Lilli Molnar - Mrs Polaris
Frank Tickle - Alfred Tripp
Tom Macaulay - Ironworks manager
Richard Littledale - Mr Sims
Jenny Laird - Mrs Sims
Tony Quinn - Joe the barman
Jill Bennett - First murdered girl

Critical reception

In The New York Times, Bosley Crowther wrote, "a very tidy murder drama arrived yesterday from England at the Rivoli Theater...An unusually literate and impressively acted film...It is English in setting and temperament, but international in its entertainment appeal. Thoughtful audiences should especially welcome this picture."^[2]

References

^ "The Long Dark Hall (1951)". BFI Film & TV Database. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009.
^ Crowther, Bosley (10 May 1951). "The Long Dark Hall". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 April 2014.

External links

The Long Dark Hall at IMDb

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[1] "The Long Dark Hall (1951)". BFI Film & TV Database. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009.

[2] Crowther, Bosley (10 May 1951). "The Long Dark Hall". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 April 2014.

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