Mine Own Executioner **** (1947, Burgess Meredith, Kieron Moore, Dulcie Gray, Barbara White, Christine Norden) – Classic Movie Review 5854

‘There’s nothing worse than a man who makes you take off your self-respect and keep your clothes on.’ Anthony Kimmins’s 1947 British film noir thriller of Nigel Balchin’s distinguished novel Mine Own Executioner is deservedly admired.

Director Anthony Kimmins’s 1947 British film noir thriller movie of Nigel Balchin’s distinguished novel Mine Own Executioner is deservedly admired, with Balchin providing his own admirable screenplay.

The story is about an overworked psychologist, Felix Milne (Burgess Meredith), who is about to leave his fussy wife Patricia (Dulcie Gray) for sexy Barbara ‘Babs’ Edge (Christine Norden), when he is asked by Molly Lucian (Barbara White) to cure her potentially homicidal war veteran husband, Adam Lucian (Kieron Moore), of his dangerous schizophrenia.

Babs declares: ‘There’s nothing worse than a man who makes you take off your self-respect and keep your clothes on.’

Mine Own Executioner has faded and is unfortunately a dated-feeling film, but it still comes over as intelligent and suspenseful. It is well and imaginatively handled by director Kimmins, and distinguished by one of the excellent, esteemed Meredith’s finest displays of acting, with the rest of the strong cast on good form too.

Also in the cast are John Laurie, Michael Shepley, Walter Fitzgerald, Edgar Norfolk, Martin Miller, Clive Morton, Joss Ambler, Jack Raine, Laurence Hanray, Helen Haye, John Stuart, Ronald Simpson, Gwynne Whitby, Malcolm Dalmayne and Michael Hordern.

The title comes from a quotation from John Donne’s prose work Devotions published in 1624.

American actor Burgess Meredith was hired by Alexander Korda, boss of London Films, who also employed simultaneously Meredith’s wife Paulette Goddard to star in An Ideal Husband (1947).

It was released on 22 November 1947 in the UK.

Its US release by was picketed anti-British group the Sons of Liberty, seeking to boycott British films and products.

Mine Own Executioner runs 108 minutes, is a London Films production, is released by British Lion Films, is written by Nigel Balchin, is based on the novel Mine Own Executioner by Nigel Balchin, is shot in black and white by Wilkie Cooper, produced by Anthony Kimmins and Jack Kitchen, scored by Benjamin Frankel, and designed by William C Andrews.

The other Balchin favourite is The Small Back Room (1949).

The cast are Burgess Meredith as Felix Milne, Kieron Moore as Adam Lucian, Dulcie Gray as Patricia Milne, Michael Shepley as Peter Edge, Christine Norden as Barbara Edge, Barbara White as Molly Lucian, Walter Fitzgerald as Dr. Norris Pile, Edgar Norfolk as Sir George Freethorne, John Laurie as Dr. James Garsten, Martin Miller as Dr. Hans Tautz, Clive Morton as Robert Paston, Joss Ambler as Julian Briant, Jack Raine as Inspector Pierce, Laurence Hanray as Dr. Lefage, Helen Haye as Lady Maresfield, John Stuart as Dr. John Hayling, Ronald Simpson, Gwynne Whitby, Malcolm Dalmayne and Michael Hordern.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5854

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