That Woman Opposite [City After Midnight] *** (1957, Phyllis Kirk, Dan O’Herlihy, Jack Watling, William Franklyn, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Petula Clark) – Classic Movie Review 13,887

The pleasurable 1957 British crime mystery thriller film That Woman Opposite is based on John Dickson Carr’s novel The Emperor’s Snuff-Box, and stars Phyllis Kirk, Dan O’Herlihy, Jack Watling, William Franklyn, Wilfrid Hyde-White, and Petula Clark.

‘Madman, murderer… I loved him. this is a horror I must hide…’

Writer/ director Compton Bennett’s pleasurable 1957 British crime mystery thriller film That Woman Opposite [City After Midnight] is based on the highly regarded 1942 novel The Emperor’s Snuff-Box by John Dickson Carr, and stars Phyllis Kirk, Dan O’Herlihy, Jack Watling, William Franklyn, Wilfrid Hyde-White, and Petula Clark.

[Spoiler alert] That Woman Opposite is a quite enjoyable and pleasing mystery about private insurance investigator Dermot Kinross (Dan O’Herlihy) on the case of a murder in France in which gem thief Ned Atwood (William Franklyn)’s former wife Eve Atwood (Phyllis Kirk) is accused when a French cop and later the rich English antiques collector Sir Maurice Lawes (Wilfrid Hyde-White) are killed. Eve (Kirk) has become engaged to Sir Maurice (Hyde-White)’s no-good son Toby Lawes (Jack Watling). Ned is Eve’s ex-husband. Sir Maurice has just bought a rare snuffbox, which is soon discovered to be missing.

The plot piles up into a satisfyingly complicated and none too predictable thriller, thanks to John Dickson Carr’s ingenious mystery story. The film is competently handled by Compton Bennett, its sombre mood suiting his temperament, while the very nice cast are good company and help it smoothly along, with Margaret Withers as Lady Helena Lawes and Guido Lorraine as Aristide Goron of the local police outstanding in the support category.

That Woman Opposite has its rough edges: Phyllis Kirk is pleasant but too actressy and not always entirely convincing, Petula Clark seems a bit lost as the Lawes’s daughter Janice, some of the dialogue is slightly shaky, and the production basic though adequate, while Compton Bennett lets the tension and dynamism slacken and stall at times. The material is good and strong though, keeping the interest and surprise level up. So, even if there’s a slightly better film somewhere here, overall it does the trick. Dan O’Herlihy is excellent in an intimate low-key star turn as the nosy, canny private insurance investigator who likes the look of That Woman Opposite Eve, William Franklyn is exceptional cast against type as the bad guy Ned Atwood, and, even if the silky Wilfrid Hyde-White, doesn’t have too much to do, killed off after half an hour, he is most amusing.

Cast: Phyllis Kirk, Dan O’Herlihy, Jack Watling, William Franklyn, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Petula Clark, Margaret Withers, Guido Lorraine, Jacques Cey, André Charisse, Robert Raikes.

It is made at Nettlefold Studios, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, UK.

City After Midnight is the US title.

Wilfrid Hyde-White make his film debut in Josser on the Farm (1934), credited under his real name of Wilfrid Hyde White (ie without the hyphen). He also appeared in his early films as Hyde White. He later added the hyphen and his first name. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He recalled: ‘I learned two things at RADA. I can’t act and it doesn’t matter.’ His supporting role as Crabbin in The Third Man (1949) helped turn him into a regular attraction in 1950s British films.

Cast: Phyllis Kirk as Eve Atwood, Dan O’Herlihy as Dermot Kinross, William Franklyn as Ned Atwood, Jack Watling as Toby Lawes, Wilfrid Hyde-White as Sir Maurice Lawes, Petula Clark as Janice Lawes, Guido Lorraine as Aristide Goron, Margaret Withers as Lady Helena Lawes, Tita Dane as Marie Latour, Robert Raikes as Bill, André Charisse as Gaston, Jacques Cey as Busson, Irene Moore as Diana.

That Woman Opposite [City After Midnight] is directed by Compton Bennett, runs 85 minutes, is made by William Gell Productions, is released by Monarch Film Corporation (UK) and RKO Radio Pictures (US), is written by Compton Bennett, based on the novel The Emperor’s Snuff Box by John Dickson Carr, is shot in black and white by Lionel Banes, is produced by William Gell, and is scored by Stanley Black.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,887

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