A Viewfinder Films Production for British Lion/Bryanston Films. Released in the U.S.A. by Cinema V Distributing, Inc. New York opening simultaneously at the Embassy and the Murray Hill: 24 November 1964. Not copyrighted in the U.S.A. U.K. release through Bryanston/British Lion: 1 December 1963. Location scenes filmed in London. 8,409 feet. 93 minutes. Cut to 90 minutes in the U.S.A. U.S. release title: The MODEL MURDER CASE. SYNOPSIS: Inspector Birkett and Sergeant Saunders are called in to investigate the murder of a model, in whose ransacked apartment the only clues they find consist of a cheap ballpoint pen and a gun which has been hidden in the toilet cistern. They interview her neighbor, television actor David Dane; her mother, Mrs Gray; her friend, Perlita; Perlita's husband, Hammond, and his brother Jordon; all without making much evident progress. The investigation later goes further afield, and they interview Rodney Herter, manager of a select gambling club; former opera star, Madame Lavalle; and William Lamotte, a prominent shipping magnate.COMMENT: Very well directed (I particularly like the scene in the deserted prima donna's chamber, with Elizabeth Vaughan's enchanting voice on the sound track), beautifully photographed, but a script that, ingenious and witty though it may be, evidently lends itself to some curiously stiff and wooden performances. One could almost cite the entire cast with the exception of Fraser and Asher. Still, it's an entertaining film, far above the level of the usual Scotland Yard whodunit. (Available on a very good Odeon DVD).

I think the criticisms of this film are a bit strong. We have to remember that 45 years have elapsed since it was made and our tastes have become more sophisticated with the diet of increasingly slick and clever movies and TV series that we now enjoy. I think Hendry plays the detective role well - sort of laid back and not falling into the cliché characterisations of the time. He is a Jaguar driving opera loving detective (now which more modern detective series does that remind you of?). I had not seen this film before watching it the other day on Movies4Men (UK) and enjoyed it for what it was - a fairly entertaining movie from the early 60's.

This film has recently surfaced on Movies4Men.It is the sort of police drama that would be the support to some big American film at the Odeon or ABC.Ian hendry who stars in this ,should really have become a big star,but his career spiraled downward in the seventies mainly due to his drinking which eventually killed him at a very early age.I in fact saw him in a sorry state in a pub in Golders Green Road.The film is really a bit of a mess.There are too many suspects with lots of red herrings.the murderer is rather unlikely with no clues given as to the killers identity.The detectives always just get home when the phone rings and they have to go out again.You just wonder at the great overtime bills they must be clocking up.They literally plod around crime scenes picking up items willy nilly in a way that could easily wipe any prints.Clearly no SOCO at that time.Ronald Fraser plays the slightly comic detective.However i have to say that all this film induced in me was sleep.

And no Christie either.Hence a rather unexciting detective story which blends Agatha's whodunit with film noir elements.A bevy of characters is overkill in lieu of a well-constructed mystery.The performances are a bit listless and the director tries a hand at humor with one of his inspectors'cold.Attshoo!The most interesting in this movie is the settings,chiefly in the second half.One of them seems to be a gay bar,but the word (it's 1963)is not uttered;Some scenes are filmed on location on the Thames banks; a chase in a graveyard is rather good.Nevertheless,it will satisfy neither Christie's countless following (the plot is too poor) nor the film noir buffs (too watered-down and not enough ambiguity).Stick with Hercule,Jane,and co.