The Worst Film Ever

A Disappointing Continuation

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

There are a number of things about this film that set it apart. It moves at a good pace with excellent dialog. It is actually accurate in its portrayal of operating room gases and procedures. The narrator does not make an appearance for at least ten minutes, which is quite unusual all by itself. Finally, it actually provides the movie-goer with all the clues necessary to solve the crime.The cast selection is also quite good. Alastair Sim (as Inspector Cockrill) is smart, abrasive, and eccentric. Sally Gray as Nurse Frederica 'Freddi' Linley, Trevor Howard as Dr. Barney Barnes, Rosamund John as Nurse Esther Sanson, Leo Genn as Mr. Eden, Judy Campbell as Sister Marion Bates, and Megs Jenkins as Nurse Woods all turn in excellent performances. Judy Campbell did not have many movie roles due to her statuesque build and intense good looks. Susan Grey was almost too pretty compared to the other female characters.Trevor Howard (Dr. Barnes) and Leo Genn (Mr. Eden (surgeon)) turned in outstanding performances as doctors with grudges against each other. In fact, all of the characters were pitched against each other quite often, exposing their various and often opposed personalities, motivations, and morals.Though all the clues required to solve the mystery were present, there were also enough "red herrings" to make the deduction difficult.Wilkie Cooper did an outstanding job of cinematography by providing well-lit scenes that still carried a dark and sinister quality. The sense of foreboding was heightened by the occasional inclusion of a V-1 flying bomb. I should also mention that the Sound Department (too many participants to list) did an outstanding job of capturing and conveying the sound of a "buzz bomb" flying overhead and the inevitable explosion when it landed.

A great British who-done-it mystery that was charming and entertaining. A great murder mystery for the entire family with historic value woven right into the script.Alastair Sims plays Inspector Cockrill from Scotland Yard called to a hospital after a set of murders are committed. It appears that someone in the surgical ward of the hospital is killing people and the Inspector is called out to find who and why the kills are happening.Inspector Cockrill finds more than he bargained when he deals with the lives of the hospital personnel. Each person has some emotion they want hidden from the rest of the public thus making the mystery more interesting.This movie is a great mystery film. It will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. And the entire cast really performs beautifully as each character shows the human side of their emotion.Even with the ending kind of crowded- the film deliveries with suspense and thrills for all viewers. There is a lot of history in this film. From hospital procedures to war time fears, this movie is a gem to watch. A good who-done-it flick.

Green for Danger (1946)With such a tightly interwoven plot and great cast, directed with precision, and filmed in a German Expressionist style to beat the band, it's amazing this doesn't have a larger reputation. It does start a little ambiguously, with some fast talking, but even here, with V1 rockets dropping and high stakes life and death operating room dramas (and love affairs) in the works, it's pretty amazing stuff.Alastair Sims is the narrator, and he arrives in person after the first third, changing the tenor of the movie, and adding exactly the right humor and cleverness to the soap opera dramatics of the rest of the nurses and doctors in this British enclave. We are told in the first minutes that three murders will happen, and then, one by one, they do. But we never anticipate exactly who or how, and as a classic British whodunit, this is among the best.Director Sidney Gilliat is better known (if known is the word at all here in America) as a producer (with Frank Launder) and a writer (including for several famous films directed by other directors like Alfred Hitchcock). But his feel for the movies, and for directing at the highest level, is shown here handily, especially in his keeping the logic of the complicated plot clear even as it swirls visually, and with lots of actors each with important roles. It's quite a treat to watch, and you could probably watch it twice in a row and enjoy it more the second time.Of course, what most mysteries have against them as great literature, or great movies, is their built in avoidance of depth of feeling, or of meaning. But not everything is Shakespeare, and as riveting, moving entertainment, it's hard to get any better.

This film opens with this line and is one of the greatest opening hooks I've heard in film. These words are spoken as anonymous hands are clanging away on a typewriter. And so begins "Green for Danger".This is a great, quirky British mystery drama that I found quite entertaining. At times it's tense and scary, then its humorous - and then its almost noir. I found this kept the film interesting and the pace was quite energetic. I will say the beginning is a little slow to start after the great opening hook. It starts out looking like it will be just another doctor/nurse soap opera. But hang with it and it gets rolling. I found the black and white cinematography to be quite accomplished and loved its great use of architectural shapes, shadows, and the mix of light and dark.Alastair Sim as The Inspector was great. He has an unusual mug of a face and bulging eyes. He's tall and somewhat clumsy. And more than a little goofy. He makes quite effective use of sarcasm. I loved his line when he said "My presence lay over the hospital like a pall."It was interesting to see some of the old hospital equipment. I noticed there was a coin meter for gas utilities in the kitchen - never saw one before. My only complaint during the film was having difficulty following some of the clipped British accents.There is a nice twist at the end. The hapless inspector solves the crime, but causes harm in so doing. There is a clever closing line back on the typewriter - " I offer my resignation, in the confident hope that you wont accept it.''Quirky piece - loved it!