Green for Danger (United Artists) (1946)

PREPARED REVIEWS ‘Must See’ Rating Given to Thrilling ‘Green for Danger’ (Prepared Review) Put “Green for Danger” at the top of your “must see” list! With a cast that includes Sally Gray, remembered for her performance in “War¬ saw Concerto,” Trevor How¬ ard, who has been seen in “Brief Encounter” and “The Adventuress,” Leo Genn, most re¬ cently featured in “Henry V,” and Rosamund John, the new Eagle Lion Films release opened last night at the . Thea¬ tre and ranks as an unparalleled adventure in screen suspense. Top laurels for acting go, how¬ ever, to Alastair Sim in his role as Inspector Cockrill, surely the screen’s most refreshing person¬ ality of the year. Sim’s portrayal of a slow-moving but fast-think¬ ing detective is a gem of comedy acting and judging by the roars of laughter at last night’s opening the audience felt the same way. Two Deaths in Hospital “Green for Danger” involves two deaths in a hospital and Sim’s discovery that all the suspects had excellent motives for the two deaths. Learning that there is no love lost between Howard, Miss Gray’s fiance, and woman-chasing Genn, Sim stages a re-enactment of the first death—and dramatic¬ ally unmasks the killer. Directed, co-written and co-pro¬ duced by Sidney Gilliat, “Green for Danger” is a worthy successor to his previous films that have established a tradition for sus¬ pense entertainment—“The Lady Vanishes,” “Night Train” and “The Adventuress.” With co-producer Frank Laun¬ der, Gilliat has turned out one of the season’s slickest and most ex¬ citing melodramas. ‘Green for Danger’ Is Expert Mystery With Comedy Twist (Prepared Review) A hospital gown torn by a sharp instrument, a set of un¬ identified fingerprints and the in¬ coherent mumblings of a deliri¬ ous patient were the clues set be¬ fore last night’s audience at the .Theatre where “Green for Danger” began a .- day engagement. The new film, produced by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, is a worthy suc¬ cessor to their other masterpieces of screen suspense—“Lady Van¬ ishes,” “Night Train” and “The Adventuress.” Sim Role Highlight Highlight characterization in a series of expert performances is turned in by Alastair Sim as In¬ spector Cockrill of Scotland Yard, easily the year’s most refreshing personality. Sim’s portrayal of the wise, witty and wily detective —who reads mystery stories for relaxation—is sure to set the pat¬ tern for other screen detectives who want to add a little humor to their characters. Involved with Sim in this sus¬ penseful story set in a hospital are four nurses, played by Sally Gray, Rosamund John, Judy Campbell, Megs Jenkins, and two doctors, Trevor Howard and Leo Genn. When one patient mysteri¬ ously dies on the operating table and a nurse is killed before she can turn over some information about the death, Inspector Cock¬ rill is called in. In a spine-chill¬ ing re-enactment of the operating scene, with Sally Gray as the “vic¬ tim,” Sim dramatically unmasks the killer. “Green for Danger,” an Eagle Lion Films release, is taut and tense—and definitely worth your time. ‘Green for Danger' Clinches Howard's MatSA Still 7PL-111-69A "I've come to find out about the mysterious deaths that have been occurring around this place," Alastair Sim tells Megs Jenkins in a scene from Eagle Lion's film "Green for Danger." Th^* suspense-packed picture is now playing at the . Theatre. ‘Green for Danger’ Is Opening Locally With a starring cast headed by Sally Gray, Trevor Howard, Rosa¬ mund John and Alastair Sim as Inspector Cockrill of Scotland Yard, “Green for Danger,” the Eagle Lion Films release, opens . at the . Theatre for a .-day engage¬ ment. Co-produced by Sidney Gil¬ liat and Frank Launder, whose “The Lady Vanishes,” “Night Train” and “The Adventuress” have become screen classics, “Green for Danger,” according to advance notices, rates as an un¬ paralleled adventure in screen suspense. Leo Genn, Judy Camp¬ bell, Megs Jenkins and Moore Marriott head the supporting cast of the film which involves two mysterious hospital murders. Career As a result of his expert performance as a woman- weary doctor suspected of two murders in “Green for Danger,” the Eagle Lion Films release now showing at the Theatre, Leo Genn has been signed for an important role opposite Olivia de Havilland in “The Snake Pit.” Genn has previously been seen on the screen in “Henry V” and on the Broadway stage in “Another Part of the For¬ est.” He recently completed a role in “Mourning Be¬ comes Electra” with Rosa¬ lind Russell. ‘Green for Danger’ Finest Of Launder-Gilliat Movies (Prepared Review) Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, responsible for those other screen suspense masterpieces—“Lady Vanishes,” “Night Train” and “The Adventuress,” have done it again. Their latest and finest production, “Green for Danger,” the Eagle Lion Films release that opened last night at the Theatre, is a Claim to Film Fame Continuing up the ladder of screen stardom, Trevor Howard makes his fifth appearance in films with his role in “Green for Danger,” the Eagle Lion Films release opening . at the . Theatre. How¬ ard’s performance in the mys¬ tery film, hailed as an unparal¬ leled adventure in screen sus¬ pense, solidly establishes him as one of the screen’s most popular leading men. Trevor Howard was born in England and was taken to Can¬ ada when he was one year old. Returning to England, he received his education at Clifton College, where he was captain of the rugby and cricket teams, and later en¬ rolled in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Rejected Paramount Offer When he finished at the Acad¬ emy, Howard turned down an of¬ fer from Paramount Pictures and stayed to appear on the London stage in “Crime and Punishment,” “Aren’t We All,” “The Rivals,” a season of John Galsworthy Mays and a Shakespeare Festh^l at Stratford-on-Avon. He play™ for two years in “French Without Tears,” spent another season at Stratford and then joined the Har¬ rogate White Rose Players. With the outbreak of the war, he joined the Army and saw action in Norway and took part in the invasion of Sicily. He was released in 1943 with the rank of captain. Stage roles followed in “Anna Christie” and in “The Recruiting Officer,” in which play he met actress Helen Cherry who later became his wife. He went on to score a great personal success in “Soldier for Christmas.” Film Debut With Niven Trevor made his screen debut with David Niven in “The Way Ahead.” His next film, “The Way to the Stars,” led to his starring roles in “Brief Encounter” with Celia Johnson and “The Adven¬ turess” with Deborah Kerr. Shakespeare and de Maupassant are Howard’s favorite authors and Toulouse-Lautrec is his fa¬ vorite painter. Benny Goodman’s orchestra sends him and sailing, cricket and sunbathing are his favorite sports. In history, Ras¬ putin is the personage who most intrigues him. Co-starring with him in “Green for Danger” are Sally Gray, Ros¬ amund John and Alastair Sim as Inspector Cockrill. Leo Genn, Megs Jenkins, Judy Campb^U and Moore Marriott head the st^ort- ing cast of the film which was produced by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, those masters of screen suspense who turned out “The Lady Vanishes,” “Night Train” and “The Adventuress.” humdinger of a mystery film. “Green for Danger” is a tight¬ ly written, slickly produced and brilliantly directed suspense story co-starring Sally Gray, Trevor Howard and Rosamund John. Ex¬ pert as these three are, acting honors go to Alastair Sim in the role of Detective Inspector Cock¬ rill of Scotland Yard, easily the most refreshing film personality we’ve seen on the screen this year. Set in a hospital, the story of “Green for Danger” involves the death of a postman on the oper¬ ating table. One of the six per¬ sons present, the head nurse, finds evidence that proves the postman was murdered. Before she can in¬ form the police, she is mysterious¬ ly stabbed to death. Detective Sim arrives and learns of the bitter rivalry be¬ tween Howard and Leo Genn for pretty Miss Gray. Sim stages a mock operation on Miss Gray, who has been injured in an at¬ tempt on her life. He persuades the suspects to perform their usu¬ al duties during the operation— and in the tense atmosphere of the operating room — Sim un¬ masks the killer in an ending that will have you panting for breath. Don’t miss “Green for Danger.” THE CAST Nurse Freddi Linley. . Sally Gray Dr. Barnes. Trevor Howard Nurse Sanson. Rosamund John Inspector Cockrill. Alastair Sim Mr. Eden. Leo Genn Nurse Woods. Megs Jenkins Sister Bates. Judy Campbell Postman Higgins. Moore Marriott PRODUCTION STAFF Directed by SIDNEY GILLIAT; produced by FRANK LAUNDER and SIDNEY GILLIAT; from the novel by CHRISTIANNA BRAND; screenplay by SIDNEY GILLIAT and CLAUDE GUERNEY: AN INDIVIDUAL PICTURE; released by EAGLE LION FILMS; Production Designer, PETER PROUD; Director of Photography, WILKIE COOPER; Film Editor, THELMA MYERS; Productioi Manager, A. S. BATES; Assistant Director, PERCY HERMES; Sound Recordist, ERIC CLENNELL; Camera¬ man, OSWALD MORRIS; music composed by WI ALWYN; played by the LONDON SYMPHONY C~ TRA under the direction of MLTIR MATHI ‘Inspector Cockrill is the Name’ Page Twenty-six