Murder at the Windmill
Murder at the Windmill, titled Mystery at the Burlesque in the U.S., is a 1949 British crime film directed by Val Guest and featuring Garry Marsh, Jon Pertwee, and Peter Butterworth.
| Murder at the Windmill | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Val Guest |
| Produced by | Nat Cohen Daniel Angel |
| Written by | Val Guest |
| Based on | original story by Val Guest |
| Starring | Garry Marsh Jon Pertwee Peter Butterworth |
| Music by | Ronald Hanmer |
| Cinematography | Bert Mason |
| Edited by | Douglas Myers |
Production company | Angel Productions |
| Distributed by | Associated British Film Distributors (UK) Monogram Pictures (USA) |
Release date | 1949 (UK) 1950 (UK) |
Running time | 70 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
It was shot at Walton Studios and was the first film to show footage inside the Windmill Theatre.[1]
Plot
A spectator is shot during a performance at London's Windmill Theatre, causing the Metropolitan police to investigate.[2]
Cast
- Garry Marsh as Detective Inspector
- Jon Pertwee as Detective Sergeant
- Jack Livesey as Vivian Van Damm
- Eliot Makeham as Gimpy
- Jimmy Edwards as Jimmy
- Diana Decker as Frankie
- Donald Clive as Donald
- Jill Anstey as Patsy
- Peter Butterworth as Police Constable
- Margo Johns as Box Office Girl
Critical reception
In the Radio Times, David McGillivray wrote, "partly filmed in situ, with performers and staff playing themselves, this creaky whodunnit is a valuable record, within the bounds of the strict censorship of the day, of the lowbrow songs and sketches that made the theatre famous. Jimmy Edwards's spot, dreadful now, was thought hilarious at the time, and won the whiskery comic his part in radio's celebrated Take It from Here" ;[3] while TV Guide thought the film was "hampered by trite dialog and an easy solution," and "the mystery is little more than an excuse to film a few song and dance numbers. These are nicely staged and come off a good deal better than the investigation."[4]
References
- Article on the Film "Murder at the Windmill." From the 1949 magazine 'Film and Art Reel.' No 1. Vol 6 at Arthur Lloyd website accessed 24 June 2014
- Page on movie at Arthur Lloyd accessed 24 June 2014
- David McGillivray. "Murder at the Windmill". RadioTimes.
- "Mystery At The Burlesque". TV Guide.
External links
- Murder at the Windmill on IMDb
- Murder at the Windmill at BritMovie (archived)
- Murder at the Windmill at the British Film Institute