Stranger in Town (1957)
A vacationing journalist investigates the mysterious death of a composer and debunks the theory that it was suicide.
- George Pollock
- Frank Chittenden
- Norman Hudis
- Edward Dryhurst
Rating: 6.5/10 by 6 users
Alternative Title:
A Stranger in Town - GB
Country:
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 14 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0
Plot Keyword: journalist, composer
When a composer if found dead in his home in a sleepy English village, the coroner puts it down to suicide. Now nobody quite knows just why this man would have taken his own life and when his American journalist pal "Madison" (Alex Nicol) shows up, he decides to look into things and is soon highly suspicious as he gradually realises that the rose tinted windows and perfectly manicured lawns hide tensions amongst the outwardly butter-wouldn't-melt townsfolk. There are plenty of clues for us all here, the odd red herring and he even manages to pick a fight as he eventually manages to convince "Insp. Powell" (John Horsley) that this wasn't simply just the desperate, final, act of an eccentric musician. It features a workmanlike, rather than stellar, cast of British stalwarts - Mona Washbourne ("Agnes") is always reliable, as is Charles Lloyd-Pack and there's even a spot for Arthur Lowe before the denouement comes a bit from left-field. It's an interesting contrast this film - almost like a precursor of the hugely successful "Midsomer Murders" series: what really does go on behind the chintz curtains. The writing is distinctly bland - and Nicol is really just eye candy, but it is still a decent little mystery that is worth a gander.
