Moment of Indiscretion

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Moment of Indiscretion
"Moment of Indiscretion" (1958).jpg
British quad poster
Directed by Max Varnel
Written by
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
Music by
Production
company
Distributed by United Artists Corporation (UK)
Release date
  • September 1958 (1958-09)
Running time
71 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Moment of Indiscretion is a low budget 1958 British second feature ('B') [1] crime film directed by Max Varnel and starring Ronald Howard and Lana Morris. [2] It was written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard and produced by The Danzigers.

Contents

Plot

Janet Miller is accused of the murder of a woman. Janet's handkerchief and spare house key have been discovered at the crime scene, and she is cagey about her whereabouts on the night in question. It turns out she was a witness to the murder, but has her own reasons for keeping quiet. Her lawyer husband John leaps to her defence and attempts to track down the real killer.

Cast

Production

Two discrepancies occur in the film. First, Janet Miller positively identifies the murderer and tells the police she'll never forget his face; yet, when witnessing the murder, she only ever sees his back – just as her character is depicted in the theatrical release poster. Second, the film was made and set in 1958[ citation needed ]; yet the pawnshop ticket, which provides the final evidence of an event which was supposed to have occurred just a few months before is dated "February 1956".

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This low-budget thriller lacks all conviction and vitality, and the valiant acting of the cast is unable to overcome the handicap of a feeble script. Direction makes no attempt to compensate for the deficiencies of the material, but is otherwise adequate to the demands of unambitious second feature production." [3]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "poor", writing: "Inept thriller, passably acted but weakly written." [4]

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References

  1. Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 93. ISBN   978-1-8445-7319-6.
  2. "Moment of Indiscretion". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  3. "Moment of Indiscretion". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 25 (288): 143. 1 January 1958 via ProQuest.
  4. Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 347. ISBN   0-7134-1874-5.