The Late Edwina Black
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Charles Frank
William Dinner (play)
William Morum (play)
| The Late Edwina Black | |
|---|---|
![](#/media/File:"The_Late_Edwina_Black"_(1951).jpg) U.S. poster | |
| Directed by | Maurice Elvey |
| Written by | David Evans Charles Frank William Dinner (play) William Morum (play) |
| Produced by | Ernest Gartside |
| Starring | David Farrar Geraldine Fitzgerald Roland Culver |
| Cinematography | Stephen Dade |
| Edited by | Douglas Myers |
| Music by | Allan Gray |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | British Lion Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 78 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | £81,703 (UK)[1] |
The Late Edwina Black (U.S. Obsessed) is a 1951 British crime film, directed by Maurice Elvey and starring David Farrar, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Roland Culver.[2] The film is a melodramatic murder mystery set in the Victorian era and was adapted from a stage play by William Dinner and William Morum.[3]
The domineering Edwina Black has just died, and the general feeling appears to be of relief. The local community whispers that her death is a blessing for all concerned, particularly her henpecked widower Gregory and downtrodden personal companion Elizabeth. Unknown to anybody, Gregory and Elizabeth have been lovers for some time, and matters take a serious turn when the local doctor, feeling uneasy about Edwina's sudden and unexpected death, orders a post-mortem. It reveals that Edwina's body is full of arsenic.
Inspector Martin has been instructed to get to the bottom of the case and his suspicions naturally fall on Gregory and Elizabeth, who have motive and opportunity. In the absence of proof, he sets out to trap them, hoping that they will inadvertently implicate themselves. A guidebook to Italy is found in Elizabeth's possession. How does she explain that? A complicating factor arises when it is discovered that the housekeeper Ellen has been keeping secrets of her own, and also had good reason for wishing Edwina ill.
Martin proceeds to drop seemingly innocuous but loaded observations into the ears of the three suspects, hoping to provoke doubts and foster mutual suspicion. This works so well that they are soon apparently falling over themselves to incriminate each other. Martin has to try to untangle the stories to come up with a coherent picture of what actually happened, all the while being aware that he is perhaps being misdirected. And over all this is the feeling that the dead Edwina is still controlling Gregory and Elizabeth's relationship.
Cast
- David Farrar as Gregory Black
- Geraldine Fitzgerald as Elizabeth Graham
- Roland Culver as Inspector Martin
- Jean Cadell as Ellen
- Mary Merrall as Lady Southdale
- Harcourt Williams as Dr. Septimus Prendergast
- Ronald Adam as headmaster
- Charles Heslop as vicar
- Sydney Moncton as Horace
Production
The film was made at Isleworth Studios. The sets were designed by the art director George Provis and the costumes were by Elizabeth Haffenden. Finance came from Romulus Films.[4][5]