The High Terrace ** (1956, Lois Maxwell, Dale Robertson, Derek Bond, Eric Pohlmann) – Classic Movie Review 13,185

‘Mystery Clutches Like a Nightmare – while a killer roams at large!’ The creaky 1956 British black and white second feature crime mystery thriller The High Terrace stars Lois Maxwell, Dale Robertson, Derek Bond, and Eric Pohlmann.

Director Henry Cass’s creaky, only moderate 1956 British black and white second feature crime mystery thriller The High Terrace stars Lois Maxwell, Dale Robertson, Derek Bond, and Eric Pohlmann.

The theatrical producer Otto Kellner (Eric Pohlmann) is killed by foul play and found dead by ambitious young actress Stephanie Blake (Lois Maxwell), found stabbed with a pair of Stephanie’s scissors. Her fellow player John Mansfield (Derek Bond) concocts an elaborate phony alibi for her. Then all the show’s players conspire to protect the guilty party, but American playwright Bill Lang (Dale Robertson) thinks Stephanie is being framed and tries to find out who really dunit.

The High Terrace is a stilted, slack suspense thriller with minimal tension, but there is a fair cast, a nice whiff of greasepaint and the continuing element of surprise. Affection for the cast and these kinds of old Brit thrillers is the main chance of appeal, and that might just be enough.

Jameson Clark plays the detective inspector on the case, Detective Inspector MacKay.

Cast: Lois Maxwell, Dale Robertson, Derek Bond, Eric Pohlmann, Mary Laura Wood, Lionel Jeffries, Jameson Clark, Carl Bernard, Garard Green, Olwen Brooks, Benita Lydal, Marianne Stone, Frederick Treves, Arthur Lowe, Jack Cunningham, Jonathan Field, Gretchen Franklin, and Alan Robinson.

The High Terrace is directed by Henry Cass, runs 82 minutes, is made by CIPA, is released by Allied Artists, is written by Alfred Shaughnessy, Norman Hudis and Brock Williams, based on an original story by A T Weisman, is shot by Eric Cross, is produced by Robert S Baker and Monty Berman, and is scored by Stanley Black.

Release date: 1 October 1956 (UK general release).

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,185

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