Best movie ever!

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

One of the stodgier of the British crime films of the 1950s that I've watched. The story in this low budget tale is a love triangle between a glamorous housewife, her hard-working, self-employed, and down on his luck husband, and her suave lover. The backdrop of industry hangs over the proceedings, but when a quarrel leads to a violent argument and death, BURNT EVIDENCE turns into a police procedural drama.Sadly it's a slow moving affair rather lacking in intrigue or indeed interest. The nature of the plot means that the principal characters have to disappear from the screen about a third of the way in at which point it all becomes rather aimless and unfocused, only to clear things up for the lacklustre ending. Jane Hylton is an arresting presence but would be better suited as a gangster's moll than the housewife she portrays here, although Duncan Lamont successfully portrays his character's world weariness. Watch out for old-timer Kynaston Reeves as a pathologist, Irene Handl in an improbable wig, and co-star Donald Gray's false left arm.

This was one of many B feature films produced between 1951 and 1962 (see IMDb for details) by the ACT - the cinema technicians trade union. The films seem to have in common, a good all British cast, reasonably resourced production values and themes rather off the mainstream, generally centred on the domestic but with an underlying serious work/economic theme. This although ostensibly a (lurid) crime who-dunnit, could well have been titled "The Perils of Self-Employment" - the conclusion makes this abundantly clear. The central character is a modest carpenter with a small but failing business, "too soft" to press for money owing and consequently on the edge of bankruptcy and losing his (improbably rather glamorous and stylish wife, Jane Hilton) to a suave and moneyed rival. The weakness seems to be in the writing/direction - perhaps the emphasis on a serious theme compromised the other elements but it left room for some wit, by no means flat-footed, with the humane detective (Meridith Edwards) and his dim assistant. Surprisingly the screenplay was by Ted Willis who was to become a respected name in TV. Overall it was of a quality that could have been an evening's highlight on the ITV of the day, watched from the sofa whilst eating a "TV dinner". The theme - everyday working life and the domestic economy - would rarely if ever be on the screen again. A 5.5

This bottom of the bill British thriller was recently given an airing on satellite TV.Duncan Lamont plays an electrician whose business is failing.His wife,Jane Hylton,is getting rather too close to his friend played by Donald Gray.She goes to try and persuade Gray to lend her £300 that Lamont needs for materials for a big contract.Lamont catches them together and jumps to the wrong conclusion.Eventually there is a confrontation between Lamont and Gray at Lamonts shed and a gum goes off and a fire ensues.We don't know who has been burnt to death but we have a shrewd guess.Enter the police in the guise of Meredith Edwards and Cyril Smith.It appears that most of the time they spend smoking ,pipes in particular and drinking endless cups of tea.What then follows is an investigation totally devoid of mystery ,suspense,action and thrills.It is poorly plotted and totally lacks any element of entertainment.The only bright spot is the appearance of Irene Handel.In an early scene she is shown wearing a long wig with a fringe.She is then given a perm by Jane Hylton and emerges with short hair and a perm.This is probably the most entertaining scene in the film.Also it is worth mentioning that Donald Gray lost an arm in the war.So you will see that most of his scenes are shot with his right arm facing the camera.In a couple of scenes you do see his left arm with a prosthetic left hand.It makes you feel that if this is what film makers believed cinema goers wanted little wonder that they were deserting the cinemas in droves for TV.

One of a few films made by ACT in the early 1950s to give employment to British actors and technicians. Its slow and a bit tedious, playing out like an early TV play, possibly not surprising in that Ted Willis(Dixon Of Dock Green,etc.,) is credited with the screenplay. Ted Willis would go on to greater things and so would the Peter Hunt credited as assistant editor,assuming its the Peter Hunt who went on to direct On Her Majesties Secret Service. The cast, including the usual range of good British players, handle the talkative script as best they can, but there is an underlying feeling of doom about the whole thing. I still found it interesting...not especially entertaining, but worth a look if you're interested in the lower reaches of British 50s cinema .