Film director Wayne Douglas (Guy Doleman) is involved in a complex tax avoidance scheme cooked up by his accountant Charles Briers. Three hundred thousand pounds is being shuffled about from one person’s name to another. The money belongs to Wayne Douglas but at the moment it’s in the name of Lin Siyan (Yôko Tani), a starlet he discovered.
Meanwhile his wife Helen (Helen Lindsay) is having him followed by private detective Richard Webb (Mark Eden). She suspects that her husband is having an affair with Lin.
The police are very concerned about the time factor in this case. The murdered man was seen doing things that he couldn’t possibly have done, owing to the fact that he was dead at the time. They’re certain they’re dealing with a murder but they don’t know the murderer’s identity because they lack vital pieces of evidence.
Everybody in this movie is up to something, usually involving money or sex. Or they have something to hide. We’re presented with several plausible suspects fo that murder.
And then there’s a shooting.
Guy Doleman is best remembered for his supporting role in the Harry Palmer movies (as Harry’s smooth slightly sinister boss). He didn’t get too many leading roles but the great thing about B-movies such as the Merton Park Edgar Wallace thrillers is that they gave interesting actors the chance to show what they could do in a leading role. Doleman does quite well here.
It’s also interesting to see young actors like Anthony Booth in their early careers. He was later to be well-known for his television work and for the notorious 1970s Confessions of… sex comedies but here he gets to play it straight and he rally is effectively creepy and sleazy.
French-born Japanese actress Yôko Tani made films in France, Britain and the United States with modest success but her career never really took off simply because there weren’t a great many good parts for Japanese actresses in those places.
Like so many of the writers and directed involved in this cycle of films director Gerard Glaister would achieve most of his success in television. As a director he was competent enough to judge by this film.
John Roddick (who also worked mostly in television) provides a solid enough screenplay although perhaps it needed to be just a bit more devious.
This movie forms part of Network’s Edgar Wallace Collection Volume 5. The transfer is 16:9 enhanced and it looks terrific. All these movies were shot widescreen in black-and-white.
This is a routine entry in the series. It’s a very straightforward murder mystery but the film industry setting adds interest (with film sets used as settings for murder) and like all these movies it’s well-crafted.
The Partner is an enjoyable enough way to spend a hour (in fact it runs just under the hour) and it’s recommended. Even the lesser movies in this series are pretty good.
French-born Japanese actress Yôko Tani made films in France, Britain and the United States with modest success but her career never really took off simply because there weren’t a great many good parts for Japanese actresses in those places.
Like so many of the writers and directed involved in this cycle of films director Gerard Glaister would achieve most of his success in television. As a director he was competent enough to judge by this film.
John Roddick (who also worked mostly in television) provides a solid enough screenplay although perhaps it needed to be just a bit more devious.
This is a routine entry in the series. It’s a very straightforward murder mystery but the film industry setting adds interest (with film sets used as settings for murder) and like all these movies it’s well-crafted.
The Partner is an enjoyable enough way to spend a hour (in fact it runs just under the hour) and it’s recommended. Even the lesser movies in this series are pretty good.
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