Diagnosis: Murder ** (1974, Jon Finch, Judy Geeson, Christopher Lee) – Classic Movie Review 11,041

Director Sidney Hayers’s 1974 crime mystery Diagnosis: Murder is a rather weary and drab production-line Seventies British thriller that seems older even than its years, about psychiatrist Dr Stephen Hayward (Christopher Lee) accused in anonymous notes of murdering his wife when she vanishes.

Detective Inspector Lomax (Jon Finch) investigates a pretty usual case. Well, there is no corpse, for starters. Just enough plot, red herrings and professional handling are on show here, but the acting is as unremarkable as the movie, though there are some nice people in it and the actors remain welcome.

Diagnosis: Murder is acceptable but you would expect a Lee project to be a bit more off the beaten track than this.

Also in the cast are Judy Geeson as Helen, Tony Beckley, Dilys Hamlett, Jane Merrow, Colin Jeavons, David Trevena, Adrian Cairns, Daphne Neville, Hugh Smith-Marriott, David Langford and Hubert Tucker.

The script is by Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts and Philip Levene (story).

It was shot in Bristol, England.

Although it was made originally by Harlech Television (HTV) for British TV, it was released in UK cinemas in 1975 by Cinema International Corporation (CIC) and in West Germany as Der See der verstümmelten Leichen on 11 June 1976.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,041

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