''Meet Simon Cherry'' is a 1949 British second feature ('B')

mystery film A mystery film is a 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 of clues, ...

directed by

Godfrey Grayson Godfrey Ramsey H. Grayson (1913, Birkenhead, Cheshire – 1998, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey) was an English film director. Selected filmography * ''Doctor Morelle'' (1949) * ''Meet Simon Cherry'' (1949) * ''The Adventures of PC 49'' (1949) * '' ...

and starring

Hugh Moxey Hugh Vincent Moxey (27 September 1909, Somerset, – 9 March 1991, Wandsworth), was a British film and television actor. Moxey spanned his career for 40 years, where he was best remembered in supporting roles in 1950s British war films, incl ...

. The screenplay was by Grayson and A. R. Rawlinson based on the

BBC radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...

series ''Meet the Rev'' by Gale Pedrick, featuring the crime solving cleric. The film was originally to be called ''Meet the Rev'', but when the film was trade shown on Nov. 22, 1949, the title was changed. It was released theatrically in January 1950. Hammer had intended to produce a series of Simon Cherry films, but cancelled the project after this film failed to become a hit.

Plot

When the Rev. Simon ("The Rev") Cherry sets off for a much needed holiday, his car breaks down in a storm and he is forced to stay overnight in a manor house belonging to Lady Harling. The following morning, the body of Lady Harling's invalid daughter Lisa Colville is discovered, apparently murdered, and the Rev must bring his crime solving skills to the case. Lisa's cousin Henry accuses Lisa's husband Alan of murdering her. Simon later discovers that the young woman actually was not murdered but rather died from a heart attack, which comes as a relief to the Harling family.

Cast

as Simon Cherry, "The Rev" * Jeannette Tregarthen as Monica Harling * Anthony Forwood as Alan Colville * Ernest Butcher as Young * Zena Marshall as Lisa Colville * John Bailey as Henry Dantry * Courtney Hope as Lady Harling *

Arthur Lovegrove Arthur Lovegrove (15 July 1913 – 7 November 1981) was a British actor and playwright. His comedy ''Goodnight Mrs Puffin'' starring Irene Handl, ran for 3 years in London's West End, from 1961. Filmography * ''Noose'' (1948) - Drummer (u ...

as Charlie Banks * Gerald Case as Smails *

John Arnatt John Edwin Arnatt (9 May 1917 – 21 December 1999) was a British actor, best known for his role in ''Doctor Who'' where he played Time Lord Cardinal Borusa in the 1978 serial ''The Invasion of Time'' (1978). Early life and education John Ar ...

as Tommy

Critical reception

Picturegoer ''Picturegoer'' was a fan magazine published in the United Kingdom between 1911 and 23 April 1960. Background The magazine was started in 1911 under the name ''The Pictures'' and in 1914 it merged with ''Picturegoer''. Following the merge it was ...

'' wrote: "The story ... is conventional enough but it is treated without hysterics. Yet it manages to put over quite a reasonable thrill. The acting of the cast as a whole is quite competent." '' Picture Show'' wrote: "It is neatly directed, with the accent on suspense and character rather than noise and speed, and excellently acted." The ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...

'' gave the film one out of five stars, writing: "Hugh Moxey made his screen debut in a feeble story." ''

Sky Movies Sky Cinema is a British subscription film service owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). In the United Kingdom, Sky Cinema channels currently broadcast on the Sky satellite and Virgin Media cable platforms, and in addition Sky Cinema on ...

'' gave the film two out of five stars, noting a "a brisk, no-nonsense film version of one of Gale Pedrick's popular stories." ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...

'' called it "competent enough."

Leslie Halliwell Robert James Leslie Halliwell (23 February 1929 – 21 January 1989) was a British film critic, encyclopaedist and television rights buyer for ITV, the British commercial network, and Channel 4. He is best known for his reference guides, '' Fi ...

said: "Elementary programme filler from a radio story." In ''British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959'' David Quinlan rated the film as "average", calling it a "servicable, no-frills version of popular radio serial."

References

External links

* {{Godfrey Grayson 1949 films British mystery films 1949 mystery films Films directed by Godfrey Grayson Films set in country houses Films based on radio series Hammer Film Productions films British black-and-white films 1940s English-language films 1940s British films English-language mystery films Films scored by Frank Spencer