The Upturned Glass (1947)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Lawrence Huntington

Writers:

Pamela Mason (writer)
John Monaghan (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

26 March 1948 (Finland)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

A prominent neurosurgeon relates to his students in medical school a story about an affair he had with a married woman and how...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | British Noir | Pretty Girl

Cast

James Mason	...	Michael Joyce
Rosamund John	...	Emma Wright
Pamela Mason	...	Kate Howard (as Pamela Kellino)
Ann Stephens	...	Ann Wright
Morland Graham	...	Clay
Brefni O'Rorke	...	Dr. Farrell
Henry Oscar	...	Coroner
Jane Hylton	...	Miss Marsh
Sheila Huntington	...	1st Girl Student
Susan Shaw	...	2nd Girl Student
Peter Cotes	...	Male Student
Nuna Davey	...	Mrs. Deva
Judith Carol	...	Joan Scott-Trotter
John Monaghan	...	U.S. Driver (as Jno. P. Monaghan)
Maurice Denham	...	Mobile Policeman
Janet Burnell	...	Sylvia
Margaret Withers	...	Party Guest
Beatrice Varley	...	Injured Girl's Mother
Hélène Burls	...	Farm Laborer's Wife (as Helene Burls)
Howard Douglas	...	Lorry Driver
Richard Afton	...	Lorry Driver's Mate
Lyn Evans	...	County Policeman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cyril Chamberlain	...	Junior Doctor (uncredited)
George Merritt	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Glyn Rowland	...	Policeman (uncredited)
John Stone	...	Male Student (uncredited)

Directed by
Lawrence Huntington

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Pamela Mason		writer (as Pamela Kellino)
John Monaghan		screenplay (as Jno. P. Monaghan)
John Monaghan		story (as Jno P. Monaghan)

Produced by
Betty E. Box	....	associate producer
Sydney Box	....	producer
James Mason	....	producer

Original Music by
Bernard Stevens

Cinematography by
Reginald H. Wyer

Film Editing by
Alan Osbiston

Art Direction by
Andrew Mazzei

Costume Design by
Mattli

Makeup Department
Nell Taylor	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Antony Darnborough	....	production manager
Fraser Foulsham	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Basil Keys	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Stephen Dalby	....	sound recordist
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist (as John Mitchell)
George Burgess	....	sound supervisor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bernard Lewis	....	camera (as Bernie Lewis)
Cyril Stanborough	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Jean Barker	....	cutter

Music Department
Muir Mathieson	....	conductor: The London Symphony Orchestra

Other crew
J. Arthur Rank	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Sydney Box Productions (as Triton)

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1947) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film (1948) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Darker Images Video (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Hollywood's Best (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Hollywood's Best (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• R&B Video (2005) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:A | Germany:16 | Finland:K-16

Company:

Sydney Box Productions

Well-structured But Gets A Bit Cluttered

In this suspenseful movie, we meet James Mason as he lectures about crime to a group of students. He is an eminent neurologist. In flashback, we learn of the girl whose eyesight he's saved. In the course of doing this, he fell in hove with her mother.

It's a murder-mystery; so that's as much plot as I'll give. Pamela Mason is appropriately unappealing as the woman's nosy sister-in-law. Mason, one of my favorite actors, is very good.

As a suspense movie -- a noir, of sorts -- it is excellent. It positions itself as more, unfortunately. Initially, it's intriguing to realize that the central figure in the case history Mason's reciting is himself. But there are red herrings. More distracting, there is philosophizing -- not to mention a most unsatisfactory final scene.