This is quite an entertaining little film, falling squarely into the Mystery/whodunit genre and not really veering anywhere towards noir or even thriller. DISCLAIMER: Note that inclusion of a title within our catalogue does not guarantee rights or print availability for a specific territory.

Genre Drama | Crime Synopsis A blackmailer is murdered, and the police find that there is a long list of suspects who wanted to see him dead. William Sylvester, best known later for playing Dr Heywood Floyd in 2001: A Space Odyssey, stars in one of his first roles opposite Mary Germaine in this crime drama about two people attempting to solve the murder of a blackmailer. Four stars for this one, although I found it cosy rather than scarey, right down to the music - pure 1950s BBC Home Service! The plotline's not bad; a mild mannered embezzler becomes implicated in his girlfriend's murder and takes refuge in a boarding house, where he is pursued by gangsters, including John LeMesurier, who is wasted in this movie, although overall the cast are good.Mary Germaine hires William Sylvester to accompany her to a rendezvous at a blackmailer's country house even though she suspects he may be a convict on the run in this low-budget B-movie that punches above its weight in the early stages before collapsing under the weight of expectation. After some sparring from Jimmy, Carol agrees to pay the money, but is unable to withdraw it from her bank until morning.

The plot grows increasingly strained as it strives to keep us guessing just who amongst a number of shady characters has knocked off the blackmailer, and eventually falls across the line. Our online collections hold information on over 800,000 film titles – including television programmes, documentaries, newsreels, as well as educational and training films.A young man asks his sister Carol (Mary Germaine) to go to a blackmailer’s (Alexander Gauge) house and pay him off and reclaim any evidence.

House of Blackmail is a 1953 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Mary Germaine, William Sylvester and Alexander Gauge. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. An army officer (William Sylvester) aids a girl (Mary Germaine) trying to extricate her brother from a blackmailer's clutches. There is also some decent characterisation – for example, with Bassett the butler and his listening at keyholes and room of pin-ups – and much creepy sneaking about, which I always love.I know I recently said this about a previous film I watched but this is very Edgar Wallace, Maybe I only feel that way because I've been reading him lately but then again his impact on mysteries and thriller since the 20s is not only undeniable but prodigious. The other film is really a rough print with opening casts incomplete but I suspect adding it as a bonus was the only way it would get a DVD release. Upper Court, Portsmouth Road, Esher in Surrey which also appears in 'Man at the Carlton Tower', 'Game for Three Losers', 'A Place of One's Own' and 'Hell is Sold Out'. The investigation reveals numerous possible suspects leading the couple to try and find the real killer themselves. I'm thankful there's not too much comedic relief, as there often is with films of this kind, but it isn't dark or energetic either.

All copyrighted material (movie posters, DVD covers, stills, trailers) and trademarks belong to their respective producers and/or distributors.Even so, the sound stellar portrayals, coupled with the 'twist' ending, give it the benefit of any doubts. By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. She insists on meeting the blackmailer so travels to his remote country house; en route picking up a curious hitcher. Actors: Mary Germaine, William Sylvester, Alexander Gauge, John Arnatt, Denis Shaw, Ingeborg von Kusserow, Patricia Owens, C. William Sylvester (2001: A Space Odyssey) and Mary Germaine both give good performances in their respective roles as Jimmy and Carol, the army officer and his girlfriend who have to work to try and solve the murder that has occurred, after Jimmy becomes a suspect in the case.