Attempt to Kill

Attempt to Kill
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Royston Morley
Written by	Richard Harris
Based on	The Lone House Mystery by Edgar Wallace
Produced by	Jack Greenwood Jim O'Connolly
Starring	Derek Farr Tony Wright Richard Pearson Freda Jackson Patricia Mort
Cinematography	Bert Mason
Edited by	Edward Jarvis
Music by	Bernard Ebbinghouse
Production company	Merton Park Studios
Distributed by	Anglo-Amalgamated
Release date	23 October 1961 (1961-10-23) [1]
Running time	54 minutes [2]
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Attempt to Kill is a 1961 British second feature ('B') ^[3] film directed by Royston Morley and starring Derek Farr and Tony Wright. ^{[4] [5]} The screenplay was by Richard Harris, based on the 1929 Edgar Wallace novel The Lone House Mystery. ^[6] It is part of the series of Edgar Wallace Mysteries films made at Merton Park Studios from 1960 to 1965. ^[2]

Plot

A businessman fires one of his employees, then someone tries to murder him. The fired man becomes the prime suspect.

Cast

• Derek Farr as Detective Inspector Minter
• Tony Wright as Gerry Hamilton
• Richard Pearson as Frank Weyman
• Freda Jackson as Mrs. Weyman
• Patricia Mort as Elisabeth Gray
• J.G. Devlin as Elliott
• Clifford Earl as Sergeant Bennett
• Denis Holmes as Fraser
• Allan Jeager as gardener
• Grace Arnold as housekeeper
• Trevor Reid as bank manager
• Frances Bennett as barmaid

Production

Filming took place at Merton Park in June 1960. ^[7]

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Derek Farr's resourceful performance as the Inspector, and the Thames setting, are the only assets in this unoriginal Edgar Wallace thriller." ^[8]

Kinematograph Weekly called it "a good British second." ^[9]

References

1. "Anglo thrillers get a circuit deal". Kinematograph Weekly. 14 September 1961. p. 16.
2. "The Edgar Wallace Mysteries: Attempt to Kill (1961)". Radio Times.
3. Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 237. ISBN   978-1-8445-7319-6.
4. Vagg, Stephen (14 March 2025). "The Weird Non-Stardom of Tony Wright". Filmink. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
5. "Attempt to Kill". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
6. "Attempt to Kill (1961)". BFI. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019.
7. "Shooting now". Kinematograph Weekly. 8 June 1961. p. 18.
8. "Attempt to Kill". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 28 (324): 141. 1 January 1961 – via ProQuest.
9. "Attempt to Kill". Kinematograph Weekly. 14 September 1961. p. 30.

External links

• Attempt to Kill at BFI
• Attempt to Kill at Letterbox DVD
• Attempt to Kill at IMDb
• Attempt to Kill at Reel Streets