Take My Life **** (1947, Hugh Williams, Greta Gynt, Marius Goring, Francis L Sullivan, Rosalie Crutchley) – Classic Movie Review 13,480

Take My Life (1947, Hugh Williams, Greta Gynt, Marius Goring).

Ronald Neame’s 1947 British crime film Take My Life is adapted from from an original screen story by Winston Graham and Valerie Taylor, and stars Hugh Williams, Greta Gynt and Marius Goring.

Director Ronald Neame’s 1947 black and white British crime film Take My Life is adapted from an original screen story by Winston Graham and Valerie Taylor, and stars Hugh Williams, Greta Gynt, Marius Goring, Francis L Sullivan, Henry Edwards, and Rosalie Crutchley.

Take My Life is a highly effective, little-known British suspense thriller in the Hitchcock mould, about the violent death of a young woman, orchestra musician Elizabeth Rusman (Rosalie Crutchley), and the suspicion that falls on her former boyfriend, Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Talbot (Hugh Williams), who is soon in a courtroom being tried for strangling her.

‘Who knows what a murderer should look like?’ asks the smug Prosecuting Counsel (Francis L Sullivan). Good point.

There are bright, fresh, and lively performances all round from a stalwart cast, especially from Greta Gynt as opera diva singer Philippa Shelley, the smart, and always smartly dressed, loyal woman who sets out to prove her husband Williams’s innocence, Hugh Williams as the urbane, bemused man in desperate trouble, remarkably calm and resigned under the circumstances, Francis L Sullivan as the Prosecuting Counsel, as over-confident as he is over-weight, and Marius Goring as the chilly and chilling head teacher Sidney Fleming.

Also to recommend the film, there is a rather smart-looking, even quite expensive-looking production, including a mini re-creation of the interior of the London Royal Opera House at the start, imaginative noir-style cinematography by Guy Green, plus fast-paced, smooth direction by Ronald Neame. William Alwyn’s music is an important element of the film, including a major plot device. Much credit must go to the film’s attractive sets, designed by art directors John Bryan and Wilfred Shingleton. It all purrs along very smoothly and efficiently, and works like clockwork.

Notable in supporting roles are Henry Edwards as the sympathetic Inspector Archer, Rosalie Crutchley as the victim, Ronald Adam as Detective Sergeant Hawkins, and Maurice Denham as Defence Counsel. They all deserve a slightly longer film where they have more to do.

It is the first film of esteemed Brit character actress Eleanor Summerfield (1921-2001), in an amusing tiny role as Miss Carteret. Even so she has more to do than poor Gerald Campion as Newspaper Seller at the station. It was hardly worth him turning up.

It is shot at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, England, and on location at York railway station.

It cost £211,800, earned £126,900 worldwide, and made a loss of £84,900 for the Rank studio.

It runs just 79 minutes.

Additional dialogue by Winston Graham and Margaret Kennedy.

Winston Graham was born on June 30, 1910, and died on July 10, 2003, aged 93. He wrote the source novel for Hitchcock’s Marnie (1964).

The cast

The cast are Hugh Williams as Nicholas Talbot, Greta Gynt as Philippa Shelley, Marius Goring as Sidney Fleming, Francis L Sullivan as Prosecuting Counsel, Henry Edwards as Inspector Archer, Rosalie Crutchley as Elizabeth Rusman, Marjorie Mars as Mrs Newcombe, David Wallbridge as Leslie Newcombe, Herbert C Walton as Mike Grieve, Ronald Adam as Detective Sergeant Hawkins, Maurice Denham as Defence Counsel, Eleanor Summerfield as Miss Carteret, Gerald Campion as Newspaper Seller, Leo Bieber as Parone, Nelly Arno as Mrs Rusman, D A Mehan, Hugh Kelly, Dorothy Bramball, Frederick Morant, Grace Denbigh Russell, Olive Walter, Pat Susands, Henry Morrelle, Leo Britt, Keith Lloyd, Margaret Boyd, Hubert Leslie, Deidre Doyle, John Boxer, Campbell Singer, and Leo Biber.

Take My Life is directed by Ronald Neame, runs 79 minutes, is made by Cineguild, is released by General Film Distributors (UK), is written by Winston Graham, Valerie Taylor, Margaret Kennedy, is shot by Guy Green, is produced by Anthony Havelock-Allan, is scored by William Alwyn, and is designed by John Bryan and Wilfred Shingleton.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,480

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