''Crow Hollow'' is a 1952 British

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means ...

directed by Michael McCarthy and starring

Donald Houston Donald Daniel Houston (6 November 1923 – 13 October 1991) was a Welsh actor whose first two films—'' The Blue Lagoon'' (1949) with Jean Simmons, and '' A Run for Your Money'' (1949) with Alec Guinness—were highly successful. Later i ...

Natasha Parry Natasha Parry (2 December 1930 – 22 July 2015) was an English actress of Russian descent. The daughter of film director Gordon Parry, she was married to theatre director Peter Brook from 1951 until her death, and is the mother of filmmakers I ...

and

Patricia Owens Patricia Molly Owens (January 17, 1925 – August 31, 2000) was a Canadian-born American actress, working in Hollywood. She appeared in about 40 films and 10 television episodes in a career lasting from 1943 to 1968. Early work Owens moved ...

. It is based on the 1950 novel ''Crow Hollow'' by Dorothy Eden. In the film, newlywed Ann Amour survives a number of murder attempts, while her maid is found stabbed to death by unknown assailants. Ann is unaware of who is trying to kill her. The film was shot at

Merton Park Studios Merton Park Studios, opened in 1929, was a British film production studio located at Long Lodge, 269 Kingston Road in Merton Park, South London. In the 1940s, it was owned by Piprodia Entertainment, Nikhanj Films and Film Producers Guild. Peter Mo ...

. There was also a scene shot at Gomshall and Shere railway station.

Plot

A young woman, Ann, falls in love with and marries Doctor Robert "Bob" Amour. She goes to live with him on his family estate, Crow Hollow, with his three, eccentric aunts - for whom he is obliged to provide a home, as a condition of ownership of the estate. Ann becomes increasingly concerned about incidents and about the behaviour of the three aunts and also an attractive young maid called Willow. On one occasion a large poisonous spider jumps on her from a box of delivered flowers while her hair is being made, on another she becomes suddenly and seriously ill immediately after eating some bitter tasting soup served her by Hester, one of the aunts. She becomes convinced that somebody is trying to kill her, and as her husband refuses to live anywhere else, she bribes the maid with a gift of clothes and slips out of the house with a suitcase, intending to leave by train. She is met before boarding the train by a friend, who persuades her to return home; entering her own bedroom, she finds the maid dead - stabbed in the back whilst sitting at the dressing table wearing the dress Ann had just given her. Police come to the house and quiz Ann. They doubt her belief that she was the intended victim because, despite the dress, she and the maid had different hair colours. An old rumour is mentioned that the maid, who had been adopted locally, was the child of a gardener at Crow Hollow. The police prohibit anybody - save Robert on professional calls - from leaving Crow Hollow whilst the murder is investigated. Ann and Robert form a theory that Willow had been wearing a hat at the dressing table, concealing the colour of her hair, confirming in their minds that Ann had been the intended victim. To assure Ann, Diana, her friend comes to stay in the house. Opal tells Robert that there is a phone call calling him out to a medical case. Ann realizes that the phone had not rung and stops him from leaving. Aunt Opal tries to serve her coffee whilst they discuss Ann's suspicions - Ann refuses to drink it, believing the coffee poisoned. Robert is about to drink it, but changes his mind. In the subsequent argument, Opal admits that she had killed Willow inadvertently - her illegitimate daughter, meaning to kill Ann. Her plan had been that Robert would marry Willow, keeping Crow Hollow fully in the family. Robert takes Ann from the room saying that they are going to call the police. Opal picks up the cup of poisoned coffee and drinks it - Robert saying to his wife outside the door "it's better this way". When things have settled down, Robert is about to apply for a post as a hospital doctor, somewhat distant from Crow Hollow, when Ann tears up the application, saying she is happy at Crow Hollow and wishes to stay.

Cast

as Doctor Robert Amour *

as Ann Amour *

as Willow * Melissa Stribling as Diana Wilson *

Esma Cannon Esma Ellen Charlotte Littmann (née Cannon) (27 December 1905 – 18 October 1972), credited as Esme or Esma Cannon, was a diminutive () Australian-born character actress and comedian, who moved to Britain in the early 1930s. Although she freque ...

as Aunt Judith *

Nora Nicholson Nora Nicholson (7 December 1887 – 18 September 1973) was an English actress. Known for her portrayal of character roles, she achieved her greatest success in the later years of her career. She played in classics by William Shakespeare, Shakesp ...

as Aunt Opal * Susan Richmond as Aunt Hester * Meadows White as Dexter * Penelope Munday as Cass * Denis Webb as Detective Inspector York *

Ewen Solon Peter Ewen Solon (7 September 1917 – 7 July 1985) was a New Zealand-born actor, who worked extensively in both the United Kingdom and Australia. At the outbreak of World War II, Solon became a member of the First Echelon, 2nd NZEF that saw ...

as Sergeant Jenkins * Georgie Henschel as Nurse Baxter * Gordon Bell as Alec * Janet Barrow as Mrs Wilson * Norman Claridge as Hospital Doctor * Doris Yorke as Hospital Nurse

References

External links

*
''Crow Hollow''
at BFI {{Michael McCarthy 1952 films 1950s mystery films 1950s English-language films Films directed by Michael McCarthy British black-and-white films Films set in country houses Films based on New Zealand novels Films about marriage Films about murder Merton Park Studios films Filicide in fiction