Calling Paul Temple *** (1948, John Bentley, Dinah Sheridan, Abraham Sofaer, Margaretta Scott, Alan Wheatley, Jack Raine) – Classic Movie Review 4487

Director Maclean Rogers’s 1948 British mystery thriller is the welcome, much improved sequel to Send for Paul Temple (1946), based on the radio serial Paul Temple and the Canterbury Case by Frances Durbridge.

John Bentley stars as novelist-sleuth Paul Temple and Dinah Sheridan plays his glamorous wife Steve in Durbridge’s radio serial story in which the couple find their lives are in danger after they discover that several female murder victims were all treated by Dr Kohima (Abraham Sofaer).

Written by Frances Durbridge, A R Rawlinson and Kathleen Butler, this is a zippy and intriguing Thin Man-style cult detective thriller, with a good mystery plot, zesty handling and sparky acting.

It also stars Margaretta Scott as Mrs Trevellyan, Alan Wheatley as Edward Lathom, and Jack Raine as Scotland Yard’s Sir Graham Forbes.

Also in the cast are Hugh Pryse, Michael Golden, Celia Lipton, Ian McLean as Inspector Crane, John McLaren, Wally Patch, Merle Tottenham, Aubrey Mallalieu, Hugh Miller, George Merritt and Sydney Tafler.

A Nettlefold Films production, released by Butcher’s, it is shot by Geoffrey Faithfull, produced by Ernest G Roy, scored by Percival Mackey and designed by J Charles Gilbert.

The second in the four-film Temple series, it is followed by Paul Temple’s Triumph (1950) and Paul Temple Returns (1952).

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4487

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