The Late Edwina Black is directed by Maurice Elvey and adapted to screenplay by Charles Frank and David Evans from the play of the same name by William Dinner and William Morum. It stars David Farrar, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Roland Culver and Jean Cadell. Music is by Allan Gray and cinematography by Stephen Dade.

It's Victorian England and Edwina Black has just died. When a fatal dosage of arsenic is revealed to be the cause of death, suspicion falls on Edwina's husband Gregory (Farrar) and her house companion Elizabeth (Fitzgerald). More so when it becomes apparent that Gregory and Elizabeth are having a passionate love affair. Intrepid Inspector Martin (Culver) investigates as housekeeper Ellen (Cadell) looks on with interest from the shadows.

Under seen Brit period mystery resplendent with moody melodramatics and some spooky shenanigans. This is all about a mystery to be solved in a big Victorian house bathed in shadows and low lights. There is only three suspects, so for those paying attention from the off the mystery is a little weak, while there's some over acting indicative of the time.

However, Elvey and Dade prove very adept at creating a house of ominous atmosphere, where although the hinted at supernatural elements are not in the realm of horror, they work well in context of the back drop. Characterisations are nicely drawn, especially when the harmony of Gregory and Elizabeth's affair begins to crack.

It all builds to a quintessentially olde British finale, as the great Roland Culver gets to do his Hercule Poirot act, all neatly revealed over a cup of tea! Hooray! 7/10

THE LATE EDWINA BLACK is one of many filmed versions of a popular stage play of the mid 20th century. This low budget, black and white tale is very much in the 'old dark house' mould, beginning with the murder of the house's mistress by arsenic poisoning. Suspicion immediately falls on the woman's husband and her maid, who are planning to elope together, and a visiting detective must examine the clues to solve the mystery.

This is a spare, tidy kind of production, focusing on just a handful of characters and presenting the plot twists in a matter-of-fact way as they occur. Roland Culver has the most fun as the quirky inspector while David Farrar does dark and brooding very well. The film manages to build up a fair head of atmosphere of times, reminiscent of REBECCA in the way the mistress's spirit seems to linger in the surroundings, eerily mournful for justice.

Edwina Black has died and an autopsy shows she was poisoned with arsenic. Meanwhile, her widower and his secretary (played by the wonderful Geraldine Fitzgerald), who have been waiting for her to die, are preparing to go off to the Continent. While the police inspector (played slowly and perfectly by Roland Culver) investigates, they turn on each other in private. Who poisoned Edwina Black? Who is lying?

Maurice Elvey, one of the great forgotten talents of the British film industry, directs this as an Old Dark House mystery, where the spirit of the late Edwina Black is evinced by the low light levels and the occasional tinkling of a crystal chandelier. His use of camera movement is almost undetectable unless you look for it -- it serves merely to maintain composition. Elvey was among the most subtle of directors in the British industry -- he did what he did in support of the movie, lacked any of the immodesty that the auteur-loving writers of the CAHIERS DE CINEMA adored and made an excellent movie in the process. Take a look at this one and see.