She Shall Have Murder


She Shall Have Murder is a 1950 British drama film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Rosamund John, Derrick De Marney and Felix Aylmer. It was written by Allan MacKinnon based on the 1949 novel of the same title by Delano Ames. The screenplay concerns a law office clerk who becomes a detective. It was co-financed by the Woolf brothers.

Premise

A law office clerk who aspires to be a crime writer, turns into a detective when someone at her work is murdered.

Cast

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The tone of the film is one of determined and occasionally forced gaiety, which the action is too slow to sustain; the mystery, however, holds a certain amount of interest to the end, although none of the characters are sufficiently developed for their motives to assume much plausibility."
Picture Show wrote: "Acting honours go to Harry Fowler for his smooth, humorously horrifying characterisation as an office boy with a flourishing 'spiv' sideline. Rosamund John and Derrick de Marney give most attractive portrayals and are excellently supported."
Picturegoer wrote: "Another British film which doesn't come off – despite some very gallant acting by its stars. The cause of the trouble is a jumbled script – it is shockingly naive at times – which contains too many miraculous coincidences."
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Slow unconvincingly acted film has most of the faults typical of second-rate British thrillers of the time"