The suspense-tense surprise of the year!
Director: Anthony Asquith
Producer: Teddy Baird
Agnes "Astra" Huston, a fortune teller at a run-down fair, is found strangled in her bedroom. As the police question five suspects, their interactions with her are shown in flashbacks from their point of view.
88 min
Rating: 6/10
Released
Top Cast
Jean Kent
Agnes / Madame Astra / Parrot (voice)
Dirk Bogarde
R.W. (Bob) Baker
John McCallum
Michael Murray
Susan Shaw
Catherine Taylor
Hermione Baddeley
Mrs. Finch
Charles Victor
Albert Pollard
Movie Info
Director: Anthony Asquith
Producer: Teddy Baird
Production Companies: J. Arthur Rank Organisation, Javelin Films, Vic Films Productions
Countries: United Kingdom
Now Streaming On
Criterion Channel
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What Others Said
CinemaSerf:
Rhetorical question but how is it possible to murder a fortune teller? Surely she should have anticipated the crime and had the constabulary ready and waiting? Well apparently not as "Madame Astra" (Jean Kent) is found slain. It falls to policeman "Lodge" (Duncan Macrae) to try and piece together just what might have happened to her. Now it was a fairly tight knit community and this woman wasn't universally liked. She didn't exactly get on with her sister, nor with her intended (Dirk Bogarde) of whom it has to be said is probably a bit of a rake. Meantime, she seems to have taken advantage of local shopkeeper "Pollard" (Charles Victor) as well as seafaring man "Michael" (John McCallum) and all under the nosey gaze of her housekeeper "Mrs. Finch" (Hermione Baddeley). Many of their alibis overlap and it's interesting for the copper to learn a few different permutations of the lead up to events and the one thing that is certain: she was a bit of a manipulatrix who was perfectly prepared to use her wiles to her own advantage. It's nice to see Macrae given a part a little more substantial than his usual professional Scotsman and I did quite enjoy the efforts from Baddeley and the multi-faceted Kent as the mystery gradually comes together. It's one of those whodunits where you feel half way through that the killer probably merited a medal rather than the noose, but that's always assuming they get caught!