An Honourable Murder ** (1960, Norman Wooland, Margaretta Scott, Lisa Daniely, Douglas Wilmer, Philip Saville, John Longden) – Classic Movie Review 13,575  

The 1960 British second feature drama film An Honourable Murder is a modern-day reworking of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, set in the City of London corporate world.

Director Godfrey Grayson’s inventive and interesting if none too convincing or specially rewarding 1960 British second feature drama film An Honourable Murder is produced by The Danzigers, and stars Norman Wooland, Margaretta Scott, Lisa Daniely, Douglas Wilmer, Philip Saville, and John Longden.

This modern-day reworking of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, set in the corporate world of the City of London, is written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard.

Jealous businessmen, led by their board director Cassius (Douglas Wilmer), plan to oust their boss Julian Caesar (John Longden), leading to his fatal heart attack, in this peculiar 1960 updating of Julius Caesar, with the characters endowed with Shakespearean names.

The cheap-looking, mostly moderately acted film largely throws away a potentially intriguing premise, generating only a modicum of the needed excitement, suspense and tension. However, there are three good performances of note:  Norman Wooland as Brutus Smith; Philip Saville as Mark Anthony; and Douglas Wilmer registers as Cassius. And at least the modern twist is something different.

The cast are Norman Wooland as Brutus Smith, Margaretta Scott as Claudia Caesar, Lisa Daniely as Paula, Douglas Wilmer as Cassius, Philip Saville as Mark Anthony, John Longden as Julian Caesar, Kenneth Edwards as Trebon, Arnold Bell as Ligar, Marion Mathie as Portia Smith, Stuart Saunders, Colin Tapley, and John Brooking.

An Honourable Murder is directed by Godfrey Grayson, runs 69 minutes is made by Danziger Productions, is released by Warner-Pathé Distributors, is written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard, is shot in black and white by James Wilson, is produced by Edward J Danziger and Harry Lee Danziger, and is scored by Albert Elms and Leon Young.

Release date: 9 May 1960.

English character actor Norman Wooland (16 March 1910 – 3 April 1989) appeared in several Shakespearean films, playing Horatio in Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet (1948), Catesby in Olivier’s film of Richard III, and Paris in Romeo and Juliet (1954). He kept a herd of cows, all named after Shakespearean characters.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,575

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