The Late Edwina Black

Plot synopsis:
The domineering Edwina Black has just died, and the general feeling appears to be of relief rather than grief. The local community whispers that her death is a disguised blessing for all concerned, particularly her henpecked widower Gregory (Farrar) and downtrodden personal companion Elizabeth (Fitzgerald). Unknown to anybody, Gregory and Elizabeth have been clandestine lovers for some time, and matters take a serious turn when the local doctor, feeling uneasy about Edwina's sudden and unexpected death, orders an autopsy. The result come back, revealing that Edwina's body is full of arsenic.
Inspector Martin (Culver) determines to get to the bottom of the case and his suspicions obviously fall on Gregory and Elizabeth. In the absence of concrete proof of their guilt, he sets out to trap them, hoping that they will inadvertently implicate themselves. A complicating factor arises when it is discovered that the housekeeper Ellen (Jean Cadell) has been keeping secrets of her own, and also had good reason for wishing Edwina ill. Two travel tickets and a guidebook to Italy are found in Elizabeth's possession. How does she explain that away?
Martin proceeds to drop seemingly innocuous but loaded observations into the ears of the three suspects, hoping to provoke doubts and foster mutual suspicion. This works so well that they are soon apparently falling over themselves to incriminate each other. Martin has to try to untangle the stories to come up with a coherent picture of what actually happened, all the while being aware that he is perhaps being manipulated into barking up entirely the wrong tree.

Tags: murder

Review:
The Old Dark House.
Edwina Black has died and an autopsy shows she was poisoned with arsenic.
Meanwhile, her widower and his secretary (played by the wonderful Geraldine Fitzgerald), who have been waiting for her to die, are preparing to go off to the Continent.
While the police inspector (played slowly and perfectly by Roland Culver) investigates, they turn on each other in private.
Who poisoned Edwina Black?
Who is lying?Maurice Elvey, one of the great forgotten talents of the British film industry, directs this as an Old Dark House mystery, where the spirit of the late Edwina Black is evinced by the low light levels and the occasional tinkling of a crystal chandelier.
His use of camera movement is almost undetectable unless you look for it -- it serves merely to maintain composition.
Elvey was among the most subtle of directors in the British industry -- he did what he did in support of the movie, lacked any of the immodesty that the auteur-loving writers of the CAHIERS DE CINEMA adored and made an excellent movie in the process.
Take a look at this one and see..
It isn't us.
It's this house, it's full of her!.
The Late Edwina Black is directed by Maurice Elvey and adapted to screenplay by Charles Frank and David Evans from the play of the same name by William Dinner and William Morum.
It stars David Farrar, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Roland Culver and Jean Cadell.
Music is by Allan Gray and cinematography by Stephen Dade.It's Victorian England and Edwina Black has just died.
When a fatal dosage of arsenic is revealed to be the cause of death, suspicion falls on Edwina's husband Gregory (Farrar) and her house companion Elizabeth (Fitzgerald).
More so when it becomes apparent that Gregory and Elizabeth are having a passionate love affair.
Intrepid Inspector Martin (Culver) investigates as housekeeper Ellen (Cadell) looks on with interest from the shadows.Under seen Brit period mystery resplendent with moody melodramatics and some spooky shenanigans.
This is all about a mystery to be solved in a big Victorian house bathed in shadows and low lights.
There is only three suspects, so for those paying attention from the off the mystery is a little weak, while there's some over acting indicative of the time.
However, Elvey and Dade prove very adept at creating a house of ominous atmosphere, where although the hinted at supernatural elements are not in the realm of horror, they work well in context of the back drop.
Characterisations are nicely drawn, especially when the harmony of Gregory and Elizabeth's affair begins to crack.It all builds to a quintessentially olde British finale, as the great Roland Culver gets to do his Hercule Poirot act, all neatly revealed over a cup of tea!
Hooray!
Another fine, understated performance from Geraldine Fitzgerald.
Geraldine Fitzgerald gives another of her usual fine, understated performances as Elizabeth Grahame, a maid, who may or may not be a murderess.
This is, however, a very unusual thriller which starts with the death of Edwina Black.
Everyone is suitably shocked but when an autopsy is requested it proves that she was poisoned.
It seems that Mrs. Black was a hard and bullying mistress and the villagers think life will be much easier at the house now she is dead.
Mr. Black (David Farrar) and Elizabeth have fallen in love but there are some red herrings that pop up - a travel book to Italy that Elizabeth had ordered a month before Edwina's death is innocently explained.
She is convinced a black cloud hangs over the house and as time goes on begins to be eaten up with suspicion and jealousy and is slowly consumed by Edwina's personality.
Jean Cadell is excellent as the aloof housekeeper.
You never realise, until the end of the film, "who done it" - as everyone seems to be acting so innocent!!
Geraldine Fitzgerald was quite a rebel - she was often suspended because of films she refused to do.
She returned to England for a time in the late 40s.
She starred as an alcoholic murderess in "So Evil, So Young" and "The Late Edwina Black" before she returned to the States..
Don't tangle with Jean Cadell.
This is a fine thriller well acted and directed.Jean Cadell does a fine job of scaring the life out of everyone.Veteran director Maurice Elvey does a fine job of sustaining suspense despite the fact that there are only three suspects.Roland Culver is the diligent detective who bit by bit manages to deduce what happened and whodunnit.The ending is a bit of a surprise..
Jumble of emotions.
The Obsessed is a nice example of English noir and of the murder mysteries they do so well and with such style.
It's a wonderful case study on how suspicious minds can mess with your head.Schoolmaster David Farrar's wife who's a rich sickly soul is given arsenic poisoning and that brings Scotland Yard in with Inspector Roland Culver.
Farrar has been carrying on for some time with Geraldine Fitzgerald who is the wife's companion.
The bulk of the film is spent with Farrar and Fitzgerald each thinking the other did it and trying to keep their relationship intact.
Housekeeper Jean Cadell, a nasty old soul is sure it was one of both.A whole lot of emotions come into play with the scenes of the two leads often at the same time, hope, fear, anger, suspicion all fueled by the wife's poisoning.As is usual the wise Scotland Yard inspector with some forensic help sorts it all out.Great acting especially from the two leads..
Mix of murder mystery and old dark house spooker.
THE LATE EDWINA BLACK is one of many filmed versions of a popular stage play of the mid 20th century.
This low budget, black and white tale is very much in the 'old dark house' mould, beginning with the murder of the house's mistress by arsenic poisoning.
Suspicion immediately falls on the woman's husband and her maid, who are planning to elope together, and a visiting detective must examine the clues to solve the mystery.This is a spare, tidy kind of production, focusing on just a handful of characters and presenting the plot twists in a matter-of-fact way as they occur.
Roland Culver has the most fun as the quirky inspector while David Farrar does dark and brooding very well.
The film manages to build up a fair head of atmosphere of times, reminiscent of REBECCA in the way the mistress's spirit seems to linger in the surroundings, eerily mournful for justice.