''The Rossiter Case'' is a 1951 British second feature ('B')

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 Helen Shingler, Clement McCallin, Sheila Burrell and

Stanley Baker Sir William Stanley Baker (28 February 192828 June 1976) was a Welsh actor and film producer. Known for his rugged appearance and intense, grounded screen persona, he was one of the top British male film stars of the late 1950s, and later a pro ...

in a small role. It was written by John Hunter and Francis Searle based on Kenneth Hyde's 1947 play ''The Rossiters''. Production ran from 22 May 1950 to 9 June. It was released on 21 January 1951. The film is unlisted in film guides and is today considered a

lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...

Plot

Peter Rossiter's wife Liz is paralyzed from a car accident caused by his driving. He has an affair with his calculating sister-in-law, Honor, who tells him she is pregnant and that he should divorce Liz and marry her. When Liz realizes her sister is scheming to steal her husband, she confronts her and Honor pulls out a gun. The sisters wrestle over the weapon, and Honor is shot dead. The police find Peter's gun by the body, and he becomes their number one murder suspect. Since he was drunk at the time of the shooting, he has no alibi. Liz decides to confess, and as she does so, she miraculously regains her ability to walk again and rises up out of her wheelchair. The police rule the case an accidental homicide, and Liz and Peter decide to work on repairing their marriage.

Cast

* Helen Shingler as Liz Rossiter * Clement McCallin as Peter Rossiter * Sheila Burrell as Honor *

Frederick Leister Frederick Leister (1 December 1885 – 24 August 1970), was an English actor. He began his career in musical comedy and after serving in the First World War he played character roles in modern West End plays and in classic drama. He appeared in ...

as Sir James Ferguson * Ann Codrington as Marty * Henry Edwards as Doctor Bendix * Dorothy Batley as Nurse West *

Gabrielle Blunt Gabrielle Hilda Blunt (8 January 1919 – 10 June 2014) was a British actress. She had a very long career in theatre, film and television mainly working as a character actress appearing in many British television programmes and films. Biography ...

as Alice *

as Joe * Eleanor Bryan as Agnes *

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 ser ...

as Inspector * Robert Percival as Sergeant * Dennis Castle as Constable * Frederic Steger as Hobson * Anthony Allen as Arthur

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: "This melodrama, adapted from a stage play, has been almost literally translated to the screen. The result is a film artificial in presentation, and weighed down by dialogue."

References

External links

''The Rossiter Case''
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

* 1951 films 1951 crime drama films 1950s mystery films British crime drama films British mystery films Films directed by Francis Searle British films based on plays Films about adultery in the United Kingdom Hammer Film Productions films British black-and-white films 1950s English-language films 1950s British films Films scored by Frank Spencer English-language crime drama films English-language mystery films {{1950s-UK-film-stub