''That Woman Opposite'' (U.S. title: ''City After Midnight''; also known as ''Woman Opposite'') is a 1957 British crime drama, directed by

Compton Bennett Herbert William Compton Bennett (15 January 1900 – 11 August 1974), better known as Compton Bennett, was an England, English film director, writer and producer. He is perhaps best known for directing the 1945 film ''The Seventh Veil'' and the ...

and starring

Phyllis Kirk Phyllis Kirk (born Phyllis Kirkgaard or Kirkegaard; September 18, 1927 October 19, 2006) was an American actress. Early life Kirk was born in Syracuse, New York, although some sources state her birthplace as Plainfield, New Jersey. She contra ...

Dan O'Herlihy Daniel Peter O'Herlihy (1 May 1919 – 17 February 2005) was an Irish actor. His best-known roles included his Oscar-nominated portrayal of the title character in Luis Buñuel's ''Robinson Crusoe'' (1954), Brigadier General Warren A. Black in ...

and

William Franklyn William Leo Franklyn (; 22 September 1925 – 31 October 2006) was an English actor, perhaps best known for voicing the "Schhh... You Know Who" adverts for Schweppes from 1965 to 1973. He also performed on stage, film, television and rad ...

. The screenplay, by Bennett, was adapted from

John Dickson Carr John Dickson Carr (November 30, 1906 – February 27, 1977) was an American author of detective stories, who also published using the pseudonyms Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson, and Roger Fairbairn. He lived in England for a number of years, and ...

's 1942 novel '' The Emperor's Snuff-Box''.

Plot

In a town on the French coast, English antiques dealer Maurice Lawes is a witness to the night-time murder of a gendarme. The killer spots Lawes at his window, and realises he has been seen. The following evening, Lawes' daughter Janice finds her father also murdered. An investigation is launched by the local police and a private insurance investigator Dermot Kinross. The initial assumption – that Lawes was murdered by the gendarme's killer to prevent identification – soon comes into question as several other individuals connected to Lawes are revealed to have plausible motives for the murder. Lawes' son Toby is found to have been embezzling funds from his father to pay off a blackmailing ex-mistress; Toby's fiancée Eve, living directly opposite the murder scene, is investigated and found to have in her possession bloodstained clothing which she cannot satisfactorily explain away. Eve's ex-husband Ned turns out to have a particular interest in a rare snuffbox from Lawes' personal collection which is discovered to be missing, and may have killed Lawes when disturbed in the process of burglary. Eve comes under particular scrutiny as it is considered she could have been an accomplice of either Toby or Ned. It falls to Kinross to unravel the actual chain of events and arrive at the correct solution.

Cast

as Eve Atwood *

as Dermot Kinross *

as Ned Atwood *

Jack Watling Jack Stanley Watling (13 January 1923 – 22 May 2001) was an English actor. Life and career Watling was born 13 January 1923 in Chingford, Essex, England. The son of a travelling scrap metal dealer, Watling trained at the Italia Conti Academy ...

as Toby Lawes *

Wilfrid Hyde-White Wilfrid Hyde-White (né Hyde White; 12 May 1903 – 6 May 1991) was an English actor. Described by Philip French as a "classic British film archetype", Hyde-White often portrayed droll and urbane upper-class characters. He had an extensive stage ...

as Sir Maurice Lawes *

Petula Clark Sally "Petula" Clark (born 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress, and songwriter. She started her professional career as a child actor, child performer and has had the longest career of any British entertainer, spanning more than 85 y ...

as Janice Lawes *

Guido Lorraine Guido Lorraine (2 September 1912 – 31 December 2009) was a Polish-born actor, musician and singer, known primarily for his roles in war films. He was also sometimes known by the stage name Guy Borucki. Lorraine appeared in twenty-eight films ...

as Aristide Goron * Margaret Withers as Lady Helena Lawes * Tita Dane as Marie Latour * Robert Raikes as Bill * André Charisse as Gaston * Jacques Cey as Busson * Irene Moore as Diana

Critical reception

The 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: "If unsubtle, the many false trails are cleverly devised and dramatically quite effective. The pace is too slow for suspense, but the photography is excellent and the backgrounds authentic." ''

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: "At last, a British thriller with class ... here's a gloss that usually comes with an import label". ''

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 ...

'' said: "Don't expect too much of this modest film... and you'll be agreeably entertained by an efficiently directed work graced by many recognisable faces".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:That Woman Opposite 1957 films 1957 crime films Films directed by Compton Bennett 1950s English-language films British black-and-white films Films set in France Films based on American novels British crime films 1950s British films Films scored by Stanley Black English-language crime films