Murder Without Crime *** (1950, Dennis Price, Derek Farr, Joan Dowling, Patricia Plunkett) – Classic Movie Review 12,118

J Lee Thompson launches his career as director with the 1950 British crime thriller Murder Without Crime starring Dennis Price and Derek Farr. He had already launched his career as writer with the play version, Double Error, when he was only 18. 

J Lee Thompson launches his career as director in his film debut with the 1950 British crime thriller Murder Without Crime starring Dennis Price, Derek Farr, Joan Dowling, and Patricia Plunkett. But he had already launched his career as writer after writing the play the film is based on, Double Error, in 1935. It had a run in London’s West End when he was only 18, leading to a job offer to write film scripts.

Director Thompson also writes the screenplay for Murder Without Crime, adapting his London theatre success play Double Error for this effective, ingeniously written British thriller about a suave and sinister landlord called Matthew (Dennis Price) who blackmails his upstairs tenant, a tyro beginner novice author, writer Stephen Holt (Derek Farr), over the supposed death of a party girl, wily nightclub hostess Grena (Joan Dowling), whom he has met at a club and fought with after returning home with her. Price knows Dowling is still alive. Patricia Plunkett plays the film’s only other credited character, Farr’s wife Jan, with whom he has quarreled and walked out on after a bitter row.

Murder Without Crime may be a little bit stagey, contrived and slow moving, but is is otherwise twisty, gripping and entertaining, and enjoyably performed.

The cast are Dennis Price as Matthew, Derek Farr as Stephen, Patricia Plunkett as Jan and Joan Dowling as Grena.

Frederick Schrecker plays Max (uncredited) and Emile Stemmler plays Cocktail Barman Larry (uncredited).

It runs 97 minutes but the cut version runs 78 minutes.

Murder Without Crime is directed by J Lee Thompson, runs 97 minutes, is made by Associated British Picture Corporation, is released by Associated British-Pathé (UK), is written by J Lee Thompson, based on the play Double Error by J Lee Thompson, is shot by William McLeod, is produced by Victor Skutezky, is scored by Philip Green, and designed by Donald M Ashton.

The play Double Error was filmed as The Price of Folly (1937). The play was revised and had a run in London as Murder Without Crime in 1942 and had a brief run on Broadway in 1943.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,118

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