The Spaniard’s Curse ** (1958, Tony Wright, Lee Patterson, Michael Hordern, Susan Beaumont) – Classic Movie Review 13,798

The 1958 British thriller film The Spaniard’s Curse is based on the novel The Assize of the Dying by Edith Pargeter, and stars Tony Wright, Lee Patterson, Michael Hordern, and Susan Beaumont.

Director Ralph Kemplen’s 1958 British thriller film The Spaniard’s Curse is based on the novel The Assize of the Dying by Edith Pargeter, and stars Tony Wright, Lee Patterson, Michael Hordern, and Susan Beaumont, along with Ralph Truman, Henry Oscar, Brian Oulton, Basil Dignam, Olga Dickie, Roddy Hughes, and John Watson. It is British film editor Ralph Kemplen’s sole feature film as director.

The Spaniard’s Curse is an occasionally ingenious, worth remembering 50s British crime melodrama, with some basic murder mystery thriller interest, about an innocent man (Basil Dignam) who is convicted and given the death sentence for the murder of an actress. He curses his judge (Michael Hordern), the prosecuting counsel (Ralph Truman), the foreman of the jury, and the real murderer, who then proceed to die one by one.

The curse is a summons to attend the Assize of the Dying. Judge Michael Hordern, his ward Margaret (Susan Beaumont), his newspaper reporter son Charlie (Tony Wright), and the actress’s half-brother (Lee Patterson) step in to investigate when Dignam is bumped off, too.

At least the cast is pleasant, giving pleasing performances, especially Michael Hordern, and the film has an unusual, involving premise and also has some good, compelling scenes in a brisk, fairly short running time.

The screenplay is written by Kenneth Hyde, the film’s director Ralph Kemplen and the film’s producer Roger Proudlock, based on the novel The Assize of the Dying by Edith Pargeter (1913-95), who also wrote the medieval detective series of Cadfael novels (as Ellis Peters). Pargeter wrote 20 Cadfael novels between 1977 and 1994, and a book of short stories.

The film was shot at Walton Studios, in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, England, in July 1957.

The Spaniard’s Curse is directed by Ralph Kemplen, runs 80 minutes, is released by Wentworth Films, is released by Independent Film Distributors, is written by Kenneth Hyde, Ralph Kemplen and Roger Proudlock, based on the novel The Assize of the Dying by Edith Pargeter, is shot in black and white by Arthur Grant, is produced by Roger Proudlock, is scored by Lambert Williamson, and is designed by Tony Masters.

Running time: 14 July 1958.

Ralph Kemplen (8 October 1912 – 4 April 2004) won the BAFTA Award for Best Editing for The Day of the Jackal (1973) and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for Moulin Rouge (1952), Oliver! (1968) and The Day of the Jackal (1973). He worked with John Huston on six films.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,798

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