A Woman of Mystery *** (1958, Dermot Walsh, Hazel Court, Jennifer Jayne, Ferdy Mayne, Ernest Clark, Martin Benson) – Classic Movie Review 13,850

A nice vintage cast of Dermot Walsh, Hazel Court, Jennifer Jayne, Ferdy Mayne, and Ernest Clark give a lift to the Danzigers 1958 crime thriller film A Woman of Mystery.

Director Ernest Morris’s 1958 low-budget, rather modest but entertaining Danziger Productions black and white mystery crime thriller film A Woman of Mystery is written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard, and stars Dermot Walsh, Hazel Court, Jennifer Jayne, Ferdy Mayne, Martin Benson and Ernest Clark.

Dermot Walsh stars as Ray Savage, a dogged newsman for a sensationalist magazine in London, who discovers that a pretty blonde hat-check young woman’s apparent suicide beside her turned-off gas fire is actually a murder and eventually finds out that a counterfeiting mob is behind it. Ray Savage discovers that the dead girl Jane Hale had previously been employed at an escort agency and that there had been an earlier attempt on her life.

Ray’s smug boss Mr Harvey (Ernest Clark) has given him an assignment he didn’t want (and no one else did either) but now Ray is burning with intent on following the clues of his investigation and ignoring the idea that he is being followed and is also in mortal danger.

The performances and direction are maybe slightly on the rough and ready side, and the story’s perhaps none too brilliantly fresh or original. But, nevertheless, the mystery is convoluted and involving enough to maintain interest, even some fascination, and the appealing, hard-working cast and decent writers do make the most of it and of their quirky characters. The mackintoshed hero talks directly to camera at the start and finish, narrating the story throughout, giving it an American noir style, which might have seemed a bright idea but is strained and doesn’t quite work. However, the identity of the main villain is kept successfully under wraps, which is always good. The film keeps up its element of surprise and mystery promised by the title, so you never know quite where it’s headed, or which rabbit it will pull out of which hat.

Dermot Walsh is really rather stalwart as the hero, with a lot to do and doing it entirely competently and involvingly. Hazel Court, Jennifer Jayne, Ferdy Mayne, Ernest Clark, Martin Benson don’t really have enough to do, in roles that are just extended cameos, but they are all good, reliable performers, and it is a pleasure as always to enjoy them working.

Hazel Court’s co-starring role as hero’s co-worker/ girlfriend is only a sidelined cypher, and Jennifer Jayne has only a couple of scenes as the dead girl’s friend, though she makes them count. German-British actor Ferdy Mayne (born Ferdinand Philip Mayer-Horckel; 11 March 1916 – 30 January 1998) gets to relish an outrageous French accent as the posh hat maker Andre, most amusing.

The film is supposed to feature an early performance from Michael Caine in a blink or you’ll miss it uncredited role as Henchman but you’d never know. He plays one of the gang who attack Savage in his flat and is in the cellar scene when Savage confronts the gang.

Cast: Dermot Walsh as Ray Savage, Hazel Court as Joy Grant, Jennifer Jayne as Ruby Ames, Ferdy Mayne as Andre, Ernest Clark as Harvey, Martin Benson as club owner Freddy, Diana Chesney as Mrs Bassett, Paul Dickson as Winter, David Lander as Barstow, Gordon Tanner as Charles Lloyd, Robert Hunter (uncredited), Michael Caine as Henchman (uncredited).

Release date: April 1958.

A Woman of Mystery is directed by Ernest Morris, runs 71 minutes, is made by Danziger Productions, is released by United Artists (UK), is written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard, is shot in black and white by James Wilson [Jimmy Wilson], is produced by Edward J Danziger and Harry Lee Danziger, and is scored by Edwin Astley and Albert Elms.

Rosary Priory High School, Caldecote Towers, Elstree Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire, England, stands in for the sanatorium where the dead girl’s mother lives.

Savage’s Ford Zodiac changes from one with a light upper body and dark side panels registration number TUL 101 to a Zodiac with a dark upper body and light side panels registration number TUL 112 (and later back again).

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,850

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