TOWN ON TRIAL
UK, 1957, 95 minutes, Black and white.
John Mills, Charles Coburn, Barbara Bates, Derek Farr, Alec Mc Cowen, Fay Compton, Geoffrey Keane, Margaretta Scott, Meredith Edwards, Harry Locke, Raymond Huntley, Harry Fowler, Maureen Connell, Dandy Nichols.
Directed by John Guillerman.
This is a murder mystery from the mid-1950s, the British setting, with a very strong British cast led by John Mills and character actors like Alec Mc Cowen as the murderer. The film was directed by John Guillerman, director of small budget British films before moving to America and making a range of big-budget films including the 1976 King Kong.
The film also has two American cast members, Charles Coburn who appeared in How to Murder a Rich Uncle in the UK the same year, and Barbara Bates.
The film opens with John Mills reading out a confession of the murder in the murderer’s words. He is an experienced detective, losing his family during the blitz, hard in his dealings with people, putting fellow officers sometimes offside, and certainly alienating the people in the town, putting them on trial for the murder – and a second murder.
The screenplay has him having a romantic interest with Barbara Bates – not entirely dramatically convincing.
More dramatically interesting is the climax of the film, the murderer climbing the spire of the local church and the detective going up to reason with him.
There are quite a number of suspects, including Charles Coburn as the doctor who had trouble in Toronto. There is the Secretary at the centre tennis club, Derek Farr, who is self-promoting, blackmailing the doctor, with the murdered girl pregnant by him. There is also Alec Mc Cowen as a disturbed young man, living with his mother, Fay Compton.
Although it is something of an average film, it does hold the attention while audiences are watching it.
1. British film of the mid-50s? Way of life in British towns in the period? Society, rich and poor?
2. The town setting, atmosphere of the period, clothes, cars, dances and music? Authentic feel for the time?
3. The strong cast, the leads, two from the United States, the range of British character actors, their careers after this period?
4. The opening, the cars arriving, the murder? The text from the murderer and Halloran reading aloud in a plain tone? The subjective point of view, the attitude towards the victim, the stalking, murderous intent, the quotation from Ezekiel and the condemnation of the woman? The visuals of the murder, the victim, the pursuit, her death?
5. Halloran, a John Mills character, rather stern, blunt in his interrogations, circulating the questionnaire and reaction against it? The encounter with Elizabeth? The credibility of the attraction and the romantic sub-plot?
6. The club, tennis, the first victim, the comment about her attracting the men, the men watching, the women watching? Winning her game? Going for a swim? Her self-confidence? The pursuit and her death? The autopsy? The opinion of the doctor? The autopsy and the fact that she was pregnant?
7. Halloran and investigations, getting names? Mark Roper and his position in the club, Secretary? His arrogance? Relationship with his wife? Dr Fenner revealing that he had fathered the child? The interview and his RAF career – and Halloran investigating, lies? Halloran exposing him in front of his wife? His denials? His reputation of the club, his drinking, his demanding that his wife go to the dance, the bandleader mocking him?
8. Peter Crowley, his mental condition, living with his mother, her care for him? His attraction to the victim? The dance, his going home, anguish with his mother, grief about the victim, his alibi? Dr Fenner’s visit and trying to persuade him to confess to the murders – and the screenplay seeming to put the blame on Dr Fenner? The questioning by Halloran, not believing him guilty?
9. Fiona, the interrogation by Halloran, her being with the young crowd, the drunken driver, the accident? Bringing her home? Her mother’s concern? The arrogance of her father, antipathy towards Halloran, Halloran speaking bluntly to him about bringing up his child, his connections and reporting Halloran? His slapping his daughter? His reaction to his daughter’s death? His demands?
10. Dr Fenner, the background of the incident in Toronto, his being blackmailed in the town, Mark Roper and the pressure? His practice? His knowledge? Audience suspicion of him? Halloran’s visits? Dr Fenner and the visit to Peter Crowley, forcing him to confess? His relationship with Elizabeth? At the dance, leaving early, getting the petrol, the hand from the boot of the car, the petrol station owner and his phoning the police? The plausibility of the doctor’s story, finding the body and taking it?
11. Fiona, at the dance, her performance and people’s response? At home, her stocking being stolen? Keeping her father waiting? His threat to send her away? After the dance, the pursuit, her death?
12. The scriptural quotation, in the purse? Typed? The spelling of judgement? Roper, Dr Fenner and Peter Crowley all writing out the text?
13. The relationship between Elizabeth and Halloran, initially disliking him, the attraction, going out for the meal, the meetings, the truth about her uncle? The culmination at the church, her talking plainly to him about his manner, his telling her that she could not influence his work at his job?
14. Peter Crowley, the truth, the police, his going to the church, the police on guard, Crowley climbing the spire, Halloran going after him, the fire brigade and the other emergency services, Halloran telling them to back off?
15. Halloran, the conversation with Crowley, being stern with him, saying that he wanted attention, his low self-esteem and wanting people to know about him, the motivation for the murders? Giving his hand, Halloran holding onto him, the final rescue?
16. The range of the supporting cast, the police officers, the landlady, Peter Crowley’s mother, Mark Roper’s wife, Fiona’s parents…?
17. The title, the town on trial, creating the atmosphere for these murders?
