Room to Let is a 1950 British historical thriller film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Jimmy Hanley, Valentine Dyall and Constance Smith. ^[1] It was adapted from the BBC radio play by Margery Allingham, broadcast in 1947. ^{[2] [3]}

Synopsis

After a fire at an insane asylum during the Edwardian era, a young journalist becomes convinced that one of the patients has escaped and taken lodgings at a local middle-class household. The mysterious "Doctor Fell" comes to dominate the three women in the house - mother, daughter and maid - and increasingly shuts them off from outside contact. Despite a lack of assistance from the authorities, the journalist suspects that the Doctor is in fact the notorious Jack the Ripper who is planning a fresh series of attacks.

Cast

• Jimmy Hanley as Curly Minter
• Valentine Dyall as Doctor Fell
• Christine Silver as Mrs. Musgrave
• Merle Tottenham as Alice
• Constance Smith as Molly Musgrave
• Charles Hawtrey as Mike Atkinson
• Aubrey Dexter as Harding
• Anthony La Penna as JJ
• Reginald Dyson as Sergeant Cranbourne
• Laurence Naismith as Editor
• John Clifford as Atkinson
• Stuart Saunders as Porter
• Cyril Conway as Doctor Mansfield
• Charles Houston as Tom
• Harriet Petworth as Matron
• Charles Mander as P.C. Smith
• H. Hamilton Earle as Orderly
• F.A. Williams as Butler
• Archie Callum as Night Watchman

Critical reception

TV Guide gave the film two out of five stars, calling it "A fairly disturbing programmer which remains suspenseful to the end." ^[4] and Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings wrote, "This is basically a variation of THE LODGER, and a very effective one. Valentine Dyall steals the movie as the truly creepy lodger, Dr. Fell." ^[5]

References

Bibliography

• Chibnall, Steve & McFarlane, Brian. The British 'B' Film. Palgrave MacMillan, 2009.

External links

• Room to Let at IMDb

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