Death Goes to School ** (1953, Barbara Murray, Gordon Jackson) – Classic Movie Review 12,957

‘A Killer Strikes in a World of Women!’ Stalwart players Barbara Murray and Gordon Jackson come to the rescue of director Stephen Clarkson’s merely moderate 1953 British murder mystery film Death Goes to School.

‘A Killer Strikes in a World of Women!’

Stalwart players Barbara Murray and Gordon Jackson come to the rescue of director Stephen Clarkson’s merely moderate 1953 British murder mystery film Death Goes to School, made at Merton Park Studios as a second feature. with few of the usual acting suspects in the rest of the cast to help spark interest.

The somewhat dull and plodding screenplay is written by Maisie Sharman and Stephen Clarkson, based on novel Death in Seven Hours by Stratford Davis.

Detective Inspector Campbell (Gordon Jackson) and his right-hand man Police Sergeant Harvey (Sam Kydd) investigate the death of a tyrannical teacher at a girls’ school, sifting all too gradually and uninterestingly among a large number of likely suspects. A teacher at the school, Miss Shepherd (Barbara Murray), is investigating too, after all she is a lover of mystery novels.

It is however nice to catch up with Beatrice Varley as Miss Hopkinson and Sam Kydd as Sergeant Harvey. And Barbara Murray and Gordon Jackson give their regular valuable performances, both playing to type.

Sam Kydd (15 February 1915 – 26 March 1982) made a record high of more than 290 films, including 119 between 1946 and 1952.

Beatrice Varley (11 July 1896 – 4 July 1964) had a long run in character roles in films from 1936 and 1961.

The cast are Barbara Murray as Miss Shepherd, Gordon Jackson as Detective Inspector Campbell, Pamela Alan as Miss Helen Cooper, Jane Aird as Miss M Halstead, Beatrice Varley as Miss Hopkinson, Anne Butchart as Miss Oliphant, Imogene Moynihan as Miss Essex, Jenine Matto as Miss Stanislaus, Sam Kydd as Sergeant Harvey, Robert Long as Mr Lawley, Nina Parry as Mary, Stanley Rose as Inspector Burgess, Enid Stewart as Mrs White, Julie Stewart as Mrs White, Sandra Whipp as Brenda, and Pauline Winter as Mrs Lawley.

Death Goes to School, runs 64 minutes, is made by Independent Artists, is distributed by Eros Films (UK), is produced by Victor Hanbury, is shot in black and white by Eric Cross, and is scored by De Wolfe.

Release date May 1953.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,957

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