Three Cases of Murder


Three Cases of Murder is a 1955 British horror omnibus film comprising three stories: "In The Picture," "You Killed Elizabeth," and "Lord Mountdrago." Eamonn Andrews introduces each. Alan Badel appears in all three.

Cast

Main cast

The first and third stories deal with the supernatural. In the first, "In the Picture", a museum worker enters one of the pictures in a gallery, enticed by a mysterious man who turns out to be the picture's painter. In the second, "You Killed Elizabeth", a man falls in love with a woman, only to lose her to his friend; she dies, but which one killed her? In the third, "Lord Mountdrago", a dramatization of a short story by W. Somerset Maugham from his collection The Mixture as Before, a politician seeks revenge on the political opponent who humiliated him, by entering his dreams.
Wendy Toye directed "In the Picture"; David Eady, "You Killed Elizabeth"; and George More O'Ferrall, "Lord Mountdrago."
Orson Welles received top billing, but he appears only in "Lord Mountdrago". According to Patrick Macnee, who had a supporting role, Welles began making suggestions to director George More O'Ferrall throughout the first day of filming, and by the third day he had taken over the direction of the entire segment.

Reception

The presence of Orson Welles in the cast meant the film was released in the US before the UK. The film was turned down for exhibition in the UK by both the Rank and Associated British chains. They claimed that the film was mediocre and that Welles was not a big enough box office draw to compensate for this.