''Murder at 3 a.m.'' is a 1953 British

second feature A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second half of a double feature, s ...

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

directed by

Francis Searle Francis Searle (14 March 1909 – 31 July 2002) was an English film director, writer and producer. He was active in the post-Second World War cinema industry. Amongst the films he directed were ''The Lady Craved Excitement'' (1950), ''One Way Ou ...

and starring

Dennis Price Dennistoun John Franklyn Rose Price (23 June 1915 – 6 October 1973) was an English actor. He played Louis Mazzini in the Ealing Studios film ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (1949) and the omnicompetent valet Jeeves in 1960s television adaptation ...

Peggy Evans Peggy Evans (10 January 1921 – 26 July 2015) was an English actress. She trained at the Rank Organisation's The Company of Youth (a "charm school"). Early years One of four children, Evans was born in Sheffield but grew up in Ealing, west Lon ...

and

Rex Garner Rex Garner (1921 – 17 May 2015) was a British born actor and director. He was born in 1921 in Wolverhampton, England. He died 17 May 2015 at the age of 94. Garner was survived by his seven children: Nicholas Garner, Lindsey Garner, Christopher ...

. It was written by John Ainsworth. A Scotland Yard detective investigates a series of attacks on women.

Plot

There have been a series of attacks on women walking home in the early hours, and now a woman has been found murdered. Chief Inspector Peter Lawton investigates. His suspicion falls on Edward King, an ex-commando who is engaged to Lawton's sister Joan. He uses Joan to trap King, but King flees. It transpires that King is innocent; the killer is his half-brother Jim.

Cast

as Chief Inspector Peter Lawton *

as Joan Lawton *

as Detective Sergeant Todd *

Arnold Bell Arnold Bell (23 May 1901 – 12 March 1988) was a British actor. Selected filmography * '' Convict 99'' (1919) − Warder Gannawy * '' Doctor Josser K.C.'' (1931) * '' Josser in the Army'' (1932) − Becker * '' Doss House'' (1933) − Repor ...

as Assistant Commissioner McMann * Greta Mayaro as Lena *

Philip Saville Philip Saville (28 October 1927 – 22 December 2016) was a British director, screenwriter and former actor whose career lasted half a century. The British Film Institute's Screenonline website described Saville as "one of Britain's most prolifi ...

as Edward 'Teddy' King/Jim King * Leonard Sharp as Old Skip *

Nora Gordon ''Nora Gordon'' (29 November 1893 – 11 May 1970) was a British film and television actress. She was married to Leonard Sharp. Her daughter was actress Dorothy Gordon. She also appeared in several British Ministry of Information films, particu ...

as Nanna * Renee Goddard as Lady Branstead *

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 Inspector Cobb * Daphne Maddox as victim * Robert Weeden as CID constable * John Davis as transmitting constable (uncredited)

Critical reception

Kine Weekly ''Kinematograph Weekly'', popularly known as ''Kine Weekly'', was a trade paper catering to the British film industry between 1889 and 1971. Etymology The word Kinematograph was derived from the Greek ' Kinumai ', (to move, to be in motion, to ...

'' said "The exuberant, if somewhat lurid and extravagent, yarn unfolds against bright night-club and realistic nocturnal London street scenes which cunningly create an illusion of scope. For its size it carries quite a kick." ''

Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' wrote: "A second-rate thriller, unimaginatively directed; the cast attempts to make something out of the too-familiar dialogue and situations." In ''British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959'' David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Shabby 'B' feature, tiresomely made" ''To-Day's Cinema'' called it an "efficient specimen" of the crime thriller.

References

External links

* 1953 films British crime films 1953 crime films 1950s English-language films Films directed by Francis Searle Films set in London British black-and-white films Films scored by Eric Spear 1950s British films English-language crime films {{1950s-crime-film-stub