Carrington VC [Court Martial] **** (1954, David Niven, Margaret Leighton, Noelle Middleton, Laurence Naismith, Clive Morton, Mark Dignam) – Classic Movie Review 5095

Anthony Asquith directs this 1954 movie adaptation of the Dorothy and Campbell Christie hit play with his usual professional care and an eye for dramatic tension.

An ideally cast David Niven stars as Carrington VC, a British major who is court-martialled on a charge of taking his army company’s funds, in this efficient courtroom drama lifted by the star’s dignified performance. It is the court martial’s job to find out if, and why, Carrington embezzled.

Also in the cast are Margaret Leighton as Valerie Carrington, Noelle Middleton, Laurence Naismith, Clive Morton, Mark Dignam, Allan Cuthbertson, Victor Maddern, John Glyn-Jones, Raymond Francis, Newton Blick, John Chandos, Maurice Denham, Michael Bates, John Chandos, Timothy Bateson, RSM Brittain, Basil Dignam, Vivienne Martin, Johnnie Schofield and Geoffrey Keen.

It runs 105 minutes, is produced by Romulus, is distributed by British Lion, is written by John Hunter, is shot in black and white by Desmond Dickinson, is produced by Teddy Baird and John Woolf and designed by Wilfred Shingleton.

There was some location shooting at the Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich, South East London.

The producers gratefully acknowledged the co-operation of the War Office in the making of this film.

The US poster didn’t want to under-sell it: ‘The Most Gripping Entertainment of the Year!’

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5095

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