Staying in the UK, going back to black and white and giving an interesting twist on the murder mystery is this week’s Friday Night Movie offering.

Mr Denning Drives North, starring John Mills and Phyllis Calvert as Tom and Kay Denning was made in 1952 and also features some other big names form the era including Sam Wanamaker as Chick Eddowes and Herbert Lom as Mados, the creepy and unsuitable boyfriend of the Denning’s daughter, Liz, played by Eileen Moore.

 

Aircraft designer Tom Denning is horrified to hear that his daughter is planning to marry an utter low-life, who has left a trail of destroyed relationships behind him, and tries to buy off Mados with £500. But Mados refuses to be bought off and a fight starts. Mados falls, hits his head and is apparently dead. Rather than get the police involved Tom Denning decides to dump the body on a remote road in the North of England and make it look like a road accident. He thinks the body will be found quickly, and the matter will be put to bed and be classified as an accident. However the worry for Denning is that the longer the wait for the body to be discovered, the less likely the planted tyre tracks would be found ,and the more likely it would be that the police may consider foul play to be a factor in this man’s death.

The body not turning up as expected gives Tom Denning nightmares and when he goes to check where the body is, things take an unexpected turn.

A good yarn and a film with some very good performances in it.

PS: Maybe someone more knowledgeable than I am about older vehicles could identify Mrs Dennings car? Tom Dennings car looks to me like a Rolls-Royce Phantom, but I can’t identify Mrs Denning’s car.