The Straw Man (1953)
74 min | Crime, Drama | October 1953 (UK)
An investigator from an insurance company is hired to look into the mysterious murder of a wealthy client's mistress. Meanwhile, the deceased's wife hires a gumshoe too. The trouble begins when the insurance detective begins suspecting the wife and her detective of being behind the killings.
Director: Donald Taylor
Writers: Doris Miles Disney (novel), Donald Taylor
Stars: Dermot Walsh, Clifford Evans, Lana Morris
74 min | Crime, Drama | October 1953 (UK)
An investigator from an insurance company is hired to look into the mysterious murder of a wealthy client's mistress. Meanwhile, the deceased's wife hires a gumshoe too. The trouble begins when the insurance detective begins suspecting the wife and her detective of being behind the killings.
Director: Donald Taylor
Writers: Doris Miles Disney (novel), Donald Taylor
Stars: Dermot Walsh, Clifford Evans, Lana Morris
Category
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Short filmTranscript
00:00I am sorry to disturb you, madame, but we must speak to your husband.
00:08But he's in bed.
00:10I am sorry, Mrs. Hunter.
00:11I am a police inspector.
00:12We have to see him.
00:15Will you wait here a minute, please?
00:28Oh, if it's about a parking car in front of the hotel, I can explain that.
00:42I'm sorry, Mr. Hunter.
00:43It's more serious than that.
00:44I'm Inspector Conrad of the Brighton Police.
00:48Oh, don't you worry, honey.
00:54Wait back in the bedroom a while, huh?
01:07You knew a girl called Celia Worth?
01:09I knew.
01:11She is dead.
01:12Oh, that's...
01:13Oh, that's terrible.
01:14Well, how did it happen?
01:19That's what I'm here to ask you.
01:21What do you mean?
01:22Celia Worth was murdered on the night of May the 29th in your house.
01:27Well, that's impossible.
01:29I only saw the kid a couple of weeks ago, and she was well and fine and, well, happy.
01:38Mr. Hunter, can you account for your movements on May the 29th?
01:42May...
01:44May 29th, huh?
01:50May 29th.
01:53Yeah.
01:54Yeah, as curious as I can.
01:57That was the night I had the blackout.
02:00I had a few drinks at the country club.
02:03Later on, I remember going out to the dance floor, and suddenly I felt faint.
02:09Then I didn't remember another thing, no, not another thing.
02:12The next morning, my, uh, my man came to waken me, and I was in my own bed with a wicked
02:19thirst and a head like a balloon.
02:23Yeah, it was a complete blackout.
02:25Have you anything else to add to that?
02:28No.
02:29No, I honestly haven't.
02:32It never happened to me before.
02:34That's why the date stuck in my mind.
02:36Then I have no alternative.
02:37I have here a warrant for your arrest for the murder of Celia Worth on the night of
02:40May the 29th.
02:41I propose now to take you back to England, where you will be formally charged and brought
02:45before a magistrate.
02:46You can't do this to me.
02:48I'm an American citizen.