The Long Dark Hall

The Long Dark Hall is a 1951 British mystery, suspense, courtroom-drama, crime film directed by Reginald Beck and Anthony Bushell and starring Rex Harrison, Lilli Palmer and Raymond Huntley. It was based on the 1947 novel A Case to Answer by Edgar Lustgarten. It was made at Walton Studios.

The Long Dark Hall
U.S. theatrical poster
Directed by	Reginald Beck Anthony Bushell
Written by	Nunnally Johnson
Based on	A Case to Answer by Edgar Lustgarten
Produced by	Peter Cusick
Starring	Rex Harrison Lilli Palmer
Cinematography	Wilkie Cooper
Edited by	Tom Simpson
Music by	Benjamin Frankel
Production companies	London Films Five Ocean Films Ltd. Cusick International Films
Distributed by	British Lion Films
Release date	6 February 1951 (1951-02-06) (UK)
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Plot

After a showgirl begins an affair with Arthur Groome, a married man, she is found murdered. Groome discovers her body but fearing his wife's knowledge of his affair he does not summon the police; he soon becomes the prime suspect for the murder.^[1] Most of the film portrays the trial of Groome at the Old Bailey, London.

Cast

• Rex Harrison as Arthur Groome
• Lilli Palmer as Mary Groome
• Tania Heald as Sheila Groome
• Henrietta Barry as Rosemary Groome
• Dora Sevening as Mary's mother
• Ronald Simpson as Mary's father
• Raymond Huntley as Chief Inspector Sullivan
• William Squire as Sergeant Cochran
• Ballard Berkeley as Superintendent Maxey
• Anthony Dawson as The Man
• Denis O'Dea as Sir Charles Morton
• Anthony Bushell as Clive Bedford
• Henry B. Longhurst as Judge
• Patricia Cutts as Rose Mallory
• Meriel Forbes as Marjorie Danns
• Brenda De Banzie as Mrs Rogers
• Douglas Jefferies as Dr. Conway
• Fletcher Lightfoot as Jury Foreman
• Anthony Shaw as Clerk of the Court
• Michael Medwin as Leslie Scott
• Colin Gordon as Pound
• Lionel Murton as Jefferson (US version only)
• Eric Pohlmann as Mr Polaris
• Lilli Molnar as Mrs Polaris
• Frank Tickle as Alfred Tripp
• Tom Macaulay as Ironworks manager
• Richard Littledale as Mr Sims
• Jenny Laird as Mrs Sims
• Tony Quinn as Joe the barman
• Jill Bennett as First murdered girl

Critical reception

In The New York Times, Bosley Crowther wrote, "a very tidy murder drama arrived yesterday from England at the Rivoli Theater...An unusually literate and impressively acted film...It is English in setting and temperament, but international in its entertainment appeal. Thoughtful audiences should especially welcome this picture."^[2]

References

1. "The Long Dark Hall (1951)". BFI Film & TV Database. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009.
2. Crowther, Bosley (10 May 1951). "The Long Dark Hall". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 April 2014.

External links

The Long Dark Hall at IMDb