GIB 3993

I can only remember its 30s or 40s film.I think it stars Michael Redgrave,on his way to work by train ,he sees what he thinks is a murder.He goes to the house but cant find a body,thats all i can remember.Thanks for any help.

S Gibson

deckard

"A Window in London"(1940)Directed by Herbert Mason. :)

"and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock"

DB7

Reminds me somewhat of the plot to another film; Agatha Christie's Murder, She Said with Margaret Rutherford..

Hackett

I always enjoy watching "MURDER SHE SAID" 1961. There are some lovely touches from the cast and the David Pursall, Jack Seddon script is very good for a B feature. The scene of Margaret Rutherford and her real life husband Stringer Davis disguised as track layers always makes me giggle. One moment they are talking by the rails and then after Stringer Davis consults his watch Miss Marple calls him from the bottom of the steepest railway bank ever constructed. I treated myself to the 4DVD box set of Miss Marple adventures and it is a very nice way to while away a cold winter evening.

Epstein

Hi everyone...talking to a guy in the pub last night who wanted to know the title of an old British movie that he'd seen a few years before. Being slightly inebriated, I had no idea what the film was, and even now, stone cold sober, still cannot place it!!

The only details that were given to me are as follows:

Black and white British movie, "possibly Hitchcock".
A man is on a train. As the train pulls into a large, mainline London station, the man witnesses a murder taking place at the window of one of tenement type buildings leading up to the station.
He spends the rest of the film trying to find the building/murderer/victim etc.

Not too much to go on I'm afraid, but I know that one of you out there will be able to help.

Thanks in advance

Scott

penfold

Well, swap the man for an old dear, the tenement building for a parallel train, and you have the Agatha Christie story 4.50 from Paddington, filmed as Murder She Said with Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple in 1961....or perhaps the plot was half-inched....

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

Epstein

You're right penfold. I thought that the plot sounded familiar and has possibly been used in some form or another in several movies.

The guy who mentioned it to me is convinced that the witness was a male character and that the murder took place in a block of flats.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll mention it to him and see what he says.

DAVID RAYNER

It seems to me that he's got the plots from three separate films mixed up here. Rear Window (1954); 23 Paces To Baker Street (1956) and Murder She Said (1961).

Epstein

Thanks David...that's another possibility I guess?

My friend seems pretty positive about the details he has given me as he mentioned it to somebody a few years ago who actually came up with the title for him. Can't remember it now though...!

Keep racking your brains guys...I'm sure we'll come up with the title between us.

Scott

DB7

A Window in London (1940).

Epstein

Thanks DB7... I think you might have cracked it.

Found two plot summaries on imdb:

"While on his way to work one morning, a man looks at the window of the train and sees a young woman being murdered. When he investigates the crime, he discovers a foul-tempered illusionist, Zoltini, who has a turbulent relationship with his young wife, Vivienne. From a train window, crane-driver Michael Redgrave thinks he sees a woman being strangled. What follows is an unusual and effective story involving a magician, his assistant wife and a subtle interplay of illusion and murder. Refreshingly directed by the overlooked Herbert Mason, and well performed throughout (particularly Redgrave and Sally Gray), this small gem benefits greatly from its varied and credible London backgrounds, including music halls (including magic shows), mundane work places not normally seen in British films of the period, and construction work on Waterloo Bridge, under which the National Film Theatre is situated"

I'll mention it to my friend and see if it rings any bells...thanks again.

penfold

Well, if it isn't, it still sounds like an interesting film....and it does have George Merritt, so it must be OK, he was in all the British films of the thirties to fifties that Wally Patch was too busy for...

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

Jim

Hey! DB7, I love your AVATAR. Just seen it and laughed out loud - boss wondered what I was doing - so had to 'mininmise' screen PDQ.

Good morning boys.