The Whole Truth *** (1958, Stewart Granger, George Sanders, Donna Reed, Gianna Maria Canale, Hy Hazell, Peter Dyneley, Jimmy Thompson) – Classic Movie Review 12,841

‘The Year’s Niftiest, Shiftiest Whodunit! FRENZIED SUSPENSE! – an adventure in fear when a film producer faces real murder!’

Director John Guillermin’s enjoyable 1958 British puzzle thriller film The Whole Truth is based on a TV and stage play by Philip Mackie, and stars Stewart Granger, George Sanders, Donna Reed, and Gianna Maria Canale, along with Hy Hazell, Peter Dyneley and Jimmy Thompson.

On the French Riviera, film producer Max Poulton (Stewart Granger)’s movie making career is put on hold when one of his film’s actresses is found dead. Married man Max has been having an affair with his fiery star, Gina Bertini (Gianna Maria Canale).

Gina threatens to tell his wife Carol (Donna Reed), and later Max comes home with a blood stain on his shirt cuff.

An inspector calls. It is Scotland Yard’s Carliss (George Sanders), who says Gina’s body has just been found, stabbed to death. But was Max framed?

A decent British mystery, set in France, entertains pleasantly even if the film’s genesis lies a little too obviously in Philip Mackie’s 1955 play, as adapted in the screenplay by Jonathan Latimer.

There are plenty of unexpected surprises and some convincing, entertaining performances, especially from Sanders, in this likeable entertainment.

It was made at Walton Studios, London, with brief location shooting in France.

Philip Mackie’s 90-minute play started on TV, on BBC in July 1955 with Griffith Jones as Lewis Paulton and Sarah Lawson as Brenda Paulton. It was then turned into a stage play at London’s Aldwych Theatre in October 1955 starring Ernest Clark, Sarah Lawson and Leslie Phillips.

The sound editor Teddy Darvas recalled that Granger ‘behaved exceedingly badly to (producer) Jack Clayton on that film’ by demanding large amounts of money to do ADR (automated dialogue replacement), the post-sync process of re-recording dialogue. Perhaps for that reason, Romulus Films ended up making no further films with Granger, though they had announced a six-picture contract with him.

The Whole Truth is directed by John Guillermin, runs 86 minutes, is made by Romulus Films, is released by Columbia Pictures, is written by Jonathan Latimer, is shot in black and white by Wilkie Cooper, is produced by Jack Clayton, and is scored by Mischa Spoliansky, and designed by Anthony Masters.

Release dates: 29 July 1958 (London) and September 1958 (US).

The cast are Stewart Granger as Max Poulton, Donna Reed as Carol Poulton, George Sanders as Carliss, Gianna Maria Canale as Gina Bertini, Michael Shillo as Inspector Simon, Richard Molinas as Gilbert, Peter Dyneley as Willy Reichel, John Van Eyssen as Archer, Philip Vickers as Jack Leslie, Jimmy Thompson as Assistant, and Hy Hazell as American Woman.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,841

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