Burnt Evidence *** (1954, Jane Hylton, Duncan Lamont, Donald Gray, Meredith Edwards, Cyril Smith, Irene Handl) – Classic Movie Review 13,284

The 1954 British second feature mystery thriller film Burnt Evidence stars Jane Hylton, Duncan Lamont, Donald Gray, Meredith Edwards, Cyril Smith and Irene Handl.

The 1954 British second feature drama mystery thriller film Burnt Evidence is directed by Daniel Birt, and stars Jane Hylton, Duncan Lamont, Donald Gray, Meredith Edwards, Cyril Smith and Irene Handl.

The screenplay is by Ted Willis, based on the original story Burn the Evidence by Percy Hoskins, and the film is produced by Ronald Kinnoch for ACT Films.

Jane Hylton is top billed as troubled and tormented Diana Taylor, who is considering leaving her husband Jack (Duncan Lamont), a rather sad and pathetic broken man who is failing to make a success of his own business as a carpenter/ builder/decorator.

Jack’s army friend Jimmy Thompson (Donald Gray) is in love with Diana and tries to persuade her to leave him. She is tempted, but… Later Diana visits Jimmy to try to persuade him to help Jack financially, which he refuses. Jack catches them together and mistakenly deduces the relationship, and then decides to vanish.

But Jimmy comes to Jack’s workplace warehouse business, a fight ensues, a gun is produced and one of them is killed. Then a subsequent fire makes it difficult to determine who has died, but Diana identifies the body as her husband and the police (Meredith Edwards and Cyril Smith) search for the missing Jimmy Thompson.

It has its rough edges, and is creaky and faded in places (some of the dialogue, some of the performances), but overall it is surprisingly entertaining and satisfying. Jane Hylton is a bit actressy, especially at the start and in any romantic scenes (channelling Brief Encounter, apparently), but suffers quite grandly and generally carries on capably. It’s a star role, the star role, but undeservedly she never became a star.

Irene Handl steals the show with quite a chunky role as the married couple’s busy-body, tea moving upstairs live-in lodger, a posher role than usual for her. She milks it magnificently. The film perks up a lot once police inspector Meredith Edwards turns up to investigate, and it turns into a police procedural instead of a love triangle. He’s good, much better than Duncan Lamont and Donald Gray, though admittedly in dreary roles as rivals for the heroine’s affections. Cyril Smith amuses as the fellow copper as Alf Quinney, Kynaston Reeves entertains as the pathologist (‘My dear Inspector, you ask for my expert opinion and then you question it?’), and Gwen Bacon is very good in a brief role as the frosty mother Mrs Thompson.

It’s quite astounding how much plot and characters they’ve packed into 61 minutes. Ted Willis has to have a lot of credit for this.

Shooting took place at Beaconsfield Studios and on location in Hammersmith. The tiny bits of outside Shooting are tantalisingly interesting but they’re over in a flash. The interiors are economically well done, with the fire and its aftermath pretty good.

Daniel Birt (23 June 1907 – 15 May 1955) was a promising director but died at 47. He directed 12 films from 1948 after a pre-war career as a film editor and war service.

Hilarious line from one of the firemen: ‘Blimey, it’s a body!’

Burnt Evidence is directed by Daniel Birt, runs 61 minutes, is made by Association of Cinema Technicians (ACT) Films, is distributed by Monarch Film Corporation, is written by Ted Willis, based the original story Burn the Evidence by Percy Hoskins, is shot in black and white by Jo Jago, is produced by Ronald Kinnoch, and is designed Ray Simm.

Release date: 5 July 1954.

The cast are Jane Hylton as Diana Taylor, Duncan Lamont as Jack Taylor, Donald Gray as Jimmy Thompson, Meredith Edwards as Inspector Bob Edwards, Cyril Smith as Alf Quinney, Irene Handl as Mrs Raymond, Hugo Schuster as Hartl, Kynaston Reeves as pathologist, Hugh Moxey as Assistant Commissioner, Tony Hilton as Tubby, Stanley Vilven as Attwood, Hamilton Keene as fire officer, Gwen Bacon as Mrs Thompson, Jack Taylor as Detective Sergeant Dutton, Charlie Bird as Police Sergeant, John H Watson as Police Constable, Jack May as Man Being Interviewed, Arthur Lovegrove as first fireman, and Stratford Johns as second fireman.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,284

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