Film & TV Reviews 4U - The Edgar Wallace Mysteries

 

Film & TV Reviews 4U - The Edgar Wallace Mysteries

The Edgar Wallace Mysteries were made for television from 1959-65 as one hour programs. The early films were produced by Independent Artists and the later by Merton Park film studios.

The theme tune by Michael Carr started the programs and there were around four versions of it over the time of the productions. The early version is orchestral and quite 'mysterioso' in style, the later version was upbeat and modern sounding with a guitar lead, it was recorded in 1960 by the Shadows, Cliff Richard's baking group who had a No.1 hit with the track.

The No.1 Hit by the Shadows - the Sheet Music

A number of composers were brought in to provide background incidental music, one being Ron Goodwin, who would find fame later in the decade with this film scores.

The Shadows in 1960

Behind the camera the episodes were crafted by a range of names that would come to the fore later in the 'golden age' of television, writers like Gerald Glaister who wrote the Secret Army and Kessler series, Robert Tronson who would go on to direct episodes in the Bergerac TV series and the episode credits read like a foretelling of future fame and fortune.

Lobby Card from the 'Flat 2' Episode

The Edgar Wallace episodes featured many actors who would later go on to greater things, there are also some quite spooky connections to, with actors who would later appear together in the future or be directed by people they would later work with.

John Thaw, later to appear in the Sweeney worked with Brian Mc Dermott and Lee Montague in an episode 'five to 1' - Brian Mc Dermott played Ken Agar in a Sweeney episode, Lee Montague played Kibber in a Sweeney episode and also in Regan, the pilot episode that was the test film for the Sweeney as part of the 'Armchair Theatre' type films for television.

Garfield Morgan also appears in one episode, later to play Frank Haskins in the Sweeney, Michael Robbins and John Colin, appear together with John Thaw, all three would cross paths in the Sweeney in later years.

Besides the episodes filmed, a number of 'fillers' episodes were made to be used to package the films for sale outside of the UK. In the DVD Box set the fillers were also included as extras on disc 3 in each DVD case.

Besides the obvious connector actors, the casts often featured many 'B movie' actors of the time and people who would populate television for the next twenty or thirty years, John Le Mesurier who would appear in many productions, most famous in Dad's army as an example.

Many character actors would also appear in the episodes who would go onto appear in television for the next twenty years.

The acting is good, the scripts tightly written and the action is pacy. The old street scenes and backdrops of a world now long in the past are worth a look at, some of the locations lost to redevelopment, the old vehicles now only driven by enthusiasts, aeroplanes and trains lost to progress and a way of life to look back on.

Many of the locations are quite easy to spot, even later on, some like a boat yard was used in the 70's in the Professionals in one scene.

The black and white film used on these episodes makes them atmospheric and they have that old 'B movie noir' quality. With AI, it would be interested to see these in converted colour.

Great nostalgia and worth watching for the historical scenes!