The Third Secret ** (1964, Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, Richard Attenborough, Pamela Franklin, Rachel Kempson, Diane Cilento Margaret Leighton, Paul Rogers, Judi Dench) – Classic Movie Review 8000

Director Charles Crichton’s 1964 The Third Secret is a muddled and ponderous suspense thriller that is comprised of a number of short stories joined together by the plot device of having a prominent psychiatrist’s daughter Catherine Whitset (Pamela Franklin) searching for her father’s killer, though everyone else believes he committed suicide, which was against his principles.

Stephen Boyd stars as Alex Stedman, one of the dead man’s patients, whom Catherine gets to help lead the hunt by interviewing his other patients and his colleagues.

Robert L Joseph’s dull and talky screenplay takes far too long to build up the suspense and then provides an obvious conclusion to the mystery. However, The Third Secret is worth a look for its serious intent, crafted direction and its vintage cast.

It is Judi Dench’s film debut, already aged 30, as Miss Humphries, after five years of stage and TV work. Also in the cast are Jack Hawkins, Richard Attenborough, Rachel Kempson, Diane Cilento, Margaret Leighton, Paul Rogers, Freda Jackson, Nigel Davenport, Alan Webb, Peter Sallis, Patience Collier, Gerald Case, Charles Lloyd Pack, James Maxwell, Ronald Leigh-Hunt, Barbara Hicks, Peter Copley, Sarah Brackett, Neal Arden and Geoffrey Adams.

Patricia Neal featured as one of the patients, but her role was cut during editing, along with the story she was in.

The Third Secret is directed by Charles Crichton, runs 103 minutes, is written by Robert L Joseph, is shot in black and white by Douglas Slocombe, is produced by Robert L Joseph and Hugh Perceval, is scored by Richard Arnell and is designed by Thomas N Morahan.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 8000

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