everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

John Loder plays an actor named Reginald Parker, who has been starring in a long-running London play, "The Brighton Strangler". After he receives a head injury in a Nazi air raid that destroys the theater, he wanders off and takes on the identity of the character he'd been playing, a serial strangler named Edward Gray, and proceeds to become the real "Brighton Straangler".This is a very slow-moving piece, and Loder's performance is somewhat stiff and unmoving. The picture has a few small plot twists but otherwise it's fairly predictable. The beautiful June Duprez does a serviceable job as the wife of a young American Air Force officer who meets "Edward Gray", not realizing who he really is, and seems to be somewhat attracted to him, but nothing more is made of that. The ending is somewhat imaginative, but you still know what's going to happen.For a murder mystery it really doesn't whip up much tension. It's pretty cut-and-dried, with not a whole lot to really recommend it. If you're a John Loder fan you'll probably like it, but if you're not, there's really not much of a reason to see it.

I love British mysteries, and having a mystery done during wartime makes "The Brighton Strangler" even better.The plot is similar to "A Double Life" from 1947, concerning an actor (Ronald Colman) playing Othello who starts strangling women in real life.In this film, an actor, Reginald Parker (John Loder) plays the Brighton Strangler in a long-running play. After closing night, as he's in his dressing room, there's a bombing. The theater is hit, and he's knocked unconscious. When he comes to, he confuses the play with reality, to the extent that he gives his name as Edward Grey, the name of his character. After boarding the train to Brighton, he meets a young WAC (June Duprez) who sees that he's wounded and helps him. He's invited to her home. Little does anyone know that he's following the script of the play.Atmospheric thriller with a great rooftop set at the end. Lots of references to things like clothing coupons and the war.People here are raving about John Loder; I found him fairly one note. I also didn't find the play he appeared in very well directed. The first scene is from the play, and Edward Grey announces to the young woman he's with that he's the Brighton Strangler. There he is, with silk rope in his hand, and she just stands there. . Oh, well, you can't have everything. Really enjoyable.

The Brighton Strangler is another movie that BBC2 shown in the early hours over Christmas/New Year 2005-06 and I was certainly glad I taped this.An actor who plays the part of The Brighton Strangler in the play of the same name is knocked unconscious by rubble during an air raid and has a memory lapse. When he wakes up, he thinks he is in the play and heads for Brighton instead of Canterbury, where he is meant to go. In Brighton, he starts strangling people including the Mayor and Chief Inspector. Police catch up with him in the end and realise what's happened to him.The Brighton Strangler is rather eerie in parts, especially the nighttime scenes.The cast includes John Loder in the title role and Jane Duprez, Ian Wolfe.Watch this if you get the chance. Very eerie and obscure little movie.Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

In 1945 London a kind, gentle actor Reginald Parker (John Loder) is performing in a play called "The Brighton Strangler". During an air raid he's hit on the head. When he regains consciousness he has amnesia and begins playing out his character from the play.The plot is old now but was probably new in 1945 and it is extremely well-done. The script is fast, there's good quick direction and there are some very creepy sequences. The acting by Loder is just great--he let's you see the confusion and hatred hiding behind his very gentle exterior. He reminded me of Laird Cregar who played similar roles in "The Lodger" (1944) and "Hangover Square" (1945). My guess is that this was made to cash in on the Cregar movies (both were huge hits).The sets are just gorgeous and there's some truly funny comic relief -- both intentional and unintentional (it's hard to keep a straight face when one character keeps saying "swell" all the time). The only bad thing is June Duprez--she's beautiful but a very poor actress.Well worth seeing if just for Loder. Why wasn't he more well known?