Alias John Preston ** (1956, Betta St John, Alexander Knox, Christopher Lee) – Classic Movie Review 13,794

Christopher Lee stars as an amnesiac stranger who has a murderously sinister secret, in the Danzigers’ 1956 black and white second feature psychological mystery thriller film Alias John Preston.

Director David MacDonald’s 1956 black and white second feature psychological mystery thriller film Alias John Preston stars Betta St John, Alexander Knox, and Christopher Lee.

Alias John Preston is an interesting, strange little programmer from the Danzigers, with a good B cast and a decent yarn about an amnesiac stranger calling himself John Preston (Christopher Lee), an odd, intense man who turns out to have a murderously sinister secret.

[Spoiler alert] Alexander Knox plays a psychiatrist, Dr Peter Walton, who shows that the amnesiac stranger (Lee) is a schizophrenic psychotic killer.

Third billed Christopher Lee has by far the main role. The film is all about him. It stands or falls on his performance, and the way the audience reacts to it. But it challenges him to make it work successfully. He gives it too much, over-playing when much lower key and subtler is the way to go here. He just goes too sweaty and too psychotic, and too early, though, to be fair, that is the role. Alexander Knox gets by nicely playing convincingly low key as the psychiatrist, Betta St John keeps her performance brisk and capable, John Longden is solid as her kindly banker father Richard Sandford, but Peter Grant is the weakest link as her childhood sweetheart Bob Newton.

Paul Tabori’s screenplay is too talky and lacks finesse, and David MacDonald’s direction is too theatrical and lacks style and polish. The Danziger cheap production and cramped sets are a problem that no one can surmount. Despite being a short feature at only 66 minutes, it still gets quite baggy and draggy.

However, both Lee and the screenplay get marks for trying though. It certainly is an interesting, strange little film, oddly ambitious in its humble way, and commendable for its intention to be intelligent and different.

British actors Christopher Lee and Bill Fraser playing American though, eh? It defies both of them, excellent actors and greater personalities though they are. Christopher Lee tries it again in The City of the Dead (1960), which also stars Betta St John in her final film.

Wealthy John Preston (Christopher Lee) arrives and settles in the small town of Deanbridge, invests in buying a house and local businesses, and involves himself in the community, particularly the hospital. He meets a local young woman called Sally (Betta St John) and wins her from her long-term admirer, childhood sweetheart Bob Newton (Peter Grant), agreeing to marry him. Is he buying Sally, investing in her too, or does he actually like her?

But then he begins to have strange dreams about Sylvia (Sandra Dorne), a scheming beautiful woman from his past, who comes to Deanbridge to blackmail him. He tells his dreams to Dr Walton (Alexander Knox), who feels Preston is suppressing events in his past and needs to regain his memory before marrying Sally. In his dreams, Preston strangles the scheming woman, but is then confronted by a strange Frenchman, who may or may not be there to help him.

Cast: Betta St John as Sally Sandford, Alexander Knox as Dr Peter Walton, Christopher Lee as John Preston, Sandra Dorne as Sylvia (in dream), Betty Anne Davies as Mrs Sandford, John Longden as Richard Sandford, Bill Fraser as Joe Newton, John Stuart as Dr Underwood, Patrick Holt as Sylvia’s husband (in dream), Gabrielle Gay as Mrs Doran, Peter Grant as Bob Newton, Guido Lorraine as restaurant manager, and Dinah Anne Rogers as Phyllis.

Betta St John (born Betty Jean Striegler) died at an assisted living facility in Brighton, England, on June 23, 2023, aged 93.

Directed by: David MacDonald

Stars: Betta St John, Alexander Knox, Christopher Lee
Production Company: Danziger Productions Ltd.
Release Date: 14 December 1955 (US)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37 : 1
Color: Black and White

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,794

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