The Third Alibi
| The Third Alibi | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Directed by | Montgomery Tully |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Based on | play A Moment of Blindness by Pip Baker Jane Baker |
| Produced by | Maurice J. Wilson |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Walter J. Harvey (as James Harvey) |
| Edited by | Jim Connock |
| Music by | Don Banks |
Production company | Eternal Films Limited |
| Distributed by | Grand National Pictures (UK) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 68 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Third Alibi is a 1961 British thriller film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Laurence Payne, Patricia Dainton, Jane Griffiths and Edward Underdown.[1][2]
Plot
Musicals composer Norman Martell (Laurence Payne) is having an affair with his wife Helen's (Patricia Dainton) divorced half sister, Peggy (Jane Griffiths). Peggy repeatedly asks him to obtain a divorce and marry her; he finally agrees when she becomes pregnant. His wife refuses his request out of sibling rivalry and suggests that the child's father may be someone else. Martell cannot just leave his wife, as she manages his royalty income. Instead, he plots her murder with Peggy, intending to use the tape recorder he uses in his composing to establish an alibi. But Helen overhears their plans, and uses them to devise a murder plan herself.
Cast
- Laurence Payne as Norman Martell
- Patricia Dainton as Helen Martell
- Jane Griffiths as Peggy Hill
- Edward Underdown as Doctor Murdoch
- John Arnatt as Superintendent Ross
- Humphrey Lestocq as Producer
- Lucy Griffiths as Miss Potter
- Cleo Laine as Singer
- Arthur Hewlett as Marshall
- Annette Kerr as Cinema cashier
- Dudley Moore as Piano accompanist (uncredited)
Critical reception
TV Guide gave the film two out of four stars, calling it a "tight little thriller";[3] and BFI Screenonline wrote, "The Third Alibi benefits distinctly from the assured economy of his (Tully's) direction. Compact, low-key, but exciting...this later work is, characteristically, constructed with precision; and moves smoothly and swiftly towards an effective and ingenious denouement."[4]
References
- ^ "The Third Alibi (1961)". Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
- ^ "The Third Alibi (1961) - Montgomery Tully - Cast and Crew - AllMovie". AllMovie.
- ^ "The Third Alibi". TVGuide.com.
- ^ "BFI Screenonline: Third Alibi, The (1961)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
External links
- The Third Alibi at IMDb
- The Third Alibi at the BFI's Screenonline
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