Dead Man's Chest (1965 film)
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Dead Man's Chest is a 1965 British second feature[1] film directed by Patrick Dromgoole and starring John Thaw, Ann Firbank and John Meillon.[2] It is part of the series of Edgar Wallace Mysteries films made at Merton Park Studios.
| Dead Man's Chest | |
|---|---|
.png) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Patrick Dromgoole |
| Screenplay by | Donal Giltinan |
| Produced by | Jack Greenwood |
| Starring | John Thaw Ann Firbank John Meillon |
| Edited by | Derek Holding |
| Music by | Bernard Ebbinghouse |
Production | |
| Distributed by | Anglo-Amalgamated |
Release date |
|
Running time | 59 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Hard-up journalists David Jones and Johnnie Gordon decide to play a hoax, faking a murder to highlight the danger of circumstantial evidence in the criminal justice system. But things go terribly wrong. Gordon is trapped in a wooden chest in the boot of a stolen car, whereabouts unknown. Panicking that Gordon will suffocate, Jones goes to the police, who think the entire story is a lie. They find the circumstantial evidence deliberately planted by Jones and Gordon as part of their original plan, and Jones is arrested for murder. Jones's wife goes to Scotland in search of Gordon's girlfriend and through her finds Gordon in hiding, working in a hotel. Jones is released.
- John Thaw as David Jones
- Ann Firbank as Mildred Jones
- John Meillon as Johnnie Gordon
- John Collin as Det. Insp. Briggs
- Peter Bowles as Joe
- John Abineri as Arthur
- Arthur Brough as Groves
- Graham Crowden as Murchie
- Jack Rodney as Knocker
- Renny Lister as Flora
- Geoffrey Bayldon as Lane
- Michael Robbins as Sgt. Harris
- Victor Platt as Constable Jackson
- Michael Collins as Sgt. Matson
- Geoffrey Mathews as prison warder
- Charlie Bird as prison warder
- Paul Whitsun-Jones as chef
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Competently acted and presented, this B picture impresses most through Donal Giltinan's quite inventive though highly improbable story, which manages to keep the fairly intricate plot unentangled, even if there is something a little glib about the ending. An unambitious but efficient little film of its class."[3]
- ^ Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 326. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
- ^ "Dead Man's Chest". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ "Dead Man's Chest". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 32 (372): 183. 1 January 1965. ProQuest 1305824875 – via ProQuest.