Clue of the Silver Key *** (1961, Bernard Lee, Patrick Cargill, Lyndon Brook, Finlay Currie, Jennifer Daniel) – Classic Movie Review 13,190

The 1961 British Edgar Wallace Mystery crime thriller B film Clue of the Silver Key stars Bernard Lee as Superintendent Meredith of Scotland Yard, who investigates the murder of a thief in the street and then of a wealthy old man at his home.

Director Gerard Glaister’s 1961 British black and white Edgar Wallace Mystery crime thriller B film Clue of the Silver Key features Bernard Lee, Patrick Cargill, Lyndon Brook, Finlay Currie, and Jennifer Daniel, as the Scotland Yard police investigate the murder of a thieving waiter in the street and then of a wealthy old man at his home.

Bernard Lee stars as Superintendent Meredith investigating several murders most foul in another minor but lusty and trusty Edgar Wallace filler thriller. Superintendent Meredith of Scotland Yard who is called in to investigate when petty thief Tom Tickler (Sam Kydd) is killed in a mews street and left with £100 in his pocket. Meredith’s inquiries lead him to mysterious businessman Washington Wirth (Finlay Currie).

The Clue of the Silver Key is a thoroughly engaging and satisfying police procedural episode with the complicated mystery well handled, enough suspects and murders, and the identity of the killer well concealed. There’s a really good cast to back up Bernard Lee’s sterling performance, which is intensely quiet, credible and persuasive, nice and world weary but still in the game.

This time Finlay Currie has plenty to do in another run-through of his grumpy old man act (unlike his appearance in the 1964 episode Who Was Maddox?) as the mysterious elderly businessman Harvey Lane, whom several people might want to kill. Patrick Cargill is very welcome as his usual scene-stealing self, playing the old man’s secretary/servant Binny. Jennifer Daniel is nice and dodgy as the old man’s niece Mary expecting to inherit, and Lyndon Brook is nice and shifty as her fiancée Gerry, who is refused old Lane’s permission to marry her. Lane tells Gerry he is a gold-digger, and says he will disinherit Mary if they marry. Derrick Sherwin amuses gently as the inept young copper Quigley, the subject of Meredith’s scorn and wrath.

Philip Mackie’s excellent, economical, slightly quirky, wryly humorous screenplay is based on the 1930 Edgar Wallace novel.

The Clue of the Silver Key is one of the series of 48 Edgar Wallace Mysteries films made at Merton Park Studios from 1960 to 1965.

Gerard Glaister also directed The Set Up (1962) and The Share Out (1962).

In the 1930 novel, it is Surefoot Smith of Scotland Yard who is called in to investigate when petty thief Tom Tickler is killed and left in a taxi with £100 in his pocket. His inquiries lead him to mysterious businessman Washington Wirth.

Clue of the Silver Key is directed by Gerard Glaister, runs 59 minutes, is made by Merton Park Studios, is released by Anglo-Amalgamated, is written by Philip Mackie, is shot in black and white by Bert Mason, is produced by Jack Greenwood, is scored by Bernard Ebbinghouse, and designed by Peter Mullins.

The cast are Bernard Lee as Superintendent Meredith, Lyndon Brook as Gerry Domford, Finlay Currie as Harvey Lane, Jennifer Daniel as Mary Lane, Patrick Cargill as Binny, Derrick Sherwin as Quigley, Anthony Sharp as Mike Hennessey, Stanley Morgan as Sergeant Anson, Sam Kydd as Tickler, Harold Scott as Crow, John Kidd as Mr Hardwick, Robert Sansom as police doctor, Patricia Haines as policewoman, Eve Eden as secretary, and Clifford Earl as detective.

Bernard Lee plays Superintendent Meredith in Clue of the Twisted Candle, Clue of the Silver Key, The Share Out (1962), and Who Was Maddox? and Inspector Mann in Partners in Crime.

The Edgar Wallace Mysteries

There were 48 films in the British second-feature film series The Edgar Wallace Mysteries, produced at Merton Park Studios for Anglo-Amalgamated and released in cinemas between 1960 and 1965.

• Urge to Kill (March 1960)
• Clue of the Twisted Candle (September 1960)
• The Malpas Mystery (October 1960)
• Marriage of Convenience (November 1960)
• The Man Who Was Nobody (December 1960)
• Partners in Crime (February 1961)
• Clue of the New Pin (February 1961)
• The Fourth Square (June 1961)
• Man at the Carlton Tower (July 1961)
• Clue of the Silver Key (August 1961)
• Attempt to Kill (September 61)
• Man Detained (October 1961)
• Never Back Losers (December 1961)
• The Sinister Man (December 1961)
• Backfire! (February 1962)
• Candidate for Murder (February 1962)
• Flat Two (February 1962)
• The Share Out (February 1962)
• Number Six (April 1962)
• Time to Remember (July 1962)
• Solo for Sparrow (September 1962)
• Playback (September 1962)
• Locker Sixty-Nine (September 1962)
• Death Trap (October 1962)
• The Set Up (January 1963)
• Incident at Midnight (January 1963)
• The £20,000 Kiss (January 1963)
• On the Run (February 1963)
• Return to Sender (March 1963)
• Ricochet (March 1963)
• The Double (April 1963)
• To Have and to Hold (July 1963)
• The Partner (September 1963)
• Accidental Death (November 1963)
• Five to One (December 1963)
• Downfall (January 1964)
• The Verdict (February 1964)
• We Shall See (April 1964)
• The Rivals (May 1964)
• Who Was Maddox? (June 1964)
• Face of a Stranger (September 1964)
• Act of Murder (September 1964)
• Never Mention Murder (November 1964)
• The Main Chance (November 1964)
• Game for Three Losers (April 1965)
• Change Partners (July 1965)
• Strangler’s Web (August 1965)
• Dead Man’s Chest (October 1965).
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