Teringer An Exercise In Nonsense

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

JohnHowardReid Copyright 29 October 1952 by Republic Pictures Corp. An Imperadio Pictures (London) Production. New York opening at the Little Carnegie: late November-early December 1953 (exact date unknown). U.S. release: 1 January 1954. U.K. release through British Lion: 2 February 1953. Australian release through London Films: 26 February 1953. 90 minutes. SYNOPSIS: An international financier dies mysteriously. His wife and male secretary are the chief suspects.NOTES: Third film version of Bentley's 1913 novel. Other versions were made in 1920 (with Gregory Scott as Trent, directed by Richard Garrick) and 1929 (with Raymond Griffith as Trent, directed by Howard Hawks). For a while there, it looked as if Trent's first book was also to be his last, but Trent's Own Case (written in collaboration with Herbert Warner Allen) followed in 1936 and Trent Intervenes (a collection of short stories) in 1938. COMMENT: Although he plays the title role with considerable grace and charm-and receives top billing-Michael Wilding takes a distinct fourth place in the film's advertising to Margaret Lockwood, John McCallum and Orson Welles. Michael's lucky that he has a head shot at all. True, Miss Lockwood is very charismatic-and so is Mr Welles-but charisma is a quality that Mr Wilding (and McCallum too for that matter) signally lack, competent (and even likable) though their performances are. However, all the players are beautifully lit and photographed. For the most part, acting, script and direction maintain viewer suspense and interest rather well. Unlike previous versions, this one follows the novel very closely. This is both an asset and a liability. At the time of its first publication, Bentley's novel struck new ground. Trent is neither a super-detective like Sherlock Holmes or a criminal like Raffles or an oddball like The Thinking Machine or a dilettante like Philo Vance, Ellery Queen, Reggie Fortune and Lord Peter Wimsey. He is a working artist and journalist who is not only human enough to fall in love with the chief suspect in Trent's Last Case but to get his "solution" to the mystery completely wrong! Wilding handles Trent most convincingly. His portrayal is probably the most accurate of a well-known fictional detective ever presented on the screen. But it's not enough, alas, to completely justify a tale that is overloaded with talk and understaffed with action. However, it's not really until near the end (when we just get too bone-tired of all the explanations and re-explanations) that our interest starts to wilt.In the meantime, as I say, we have plenty to occupy our minds and hearts. Welles' appearance is deliberately held back to obtain the maximum suspense, but we do have the lovely Lockwood, plus a nice offbeat performance by Sam Kydd (of all people) to divert us in the meantime. Hugh McDermott plays a somewhat shady secretary with surprising ease. And, thanks to adroit acting by all involved and clever editing, the whole courtroom scene comes across with style, humor and tension. Yes, director Wilcox does his level best with Bentley's over-detailed material. Production values (including some wonderful sets) are nothing if not lavish.

Marco Trevisiol With an acclaimed murder-mystery novel that had a great subversive, twist ending as its source, "Trent's Last Case" should've been cracking entertainment.Alas, the director is Herbert Wilcox who had a lengthy and largely successful career but even his popular films haven't aged well due to his pedestrian, uninventive style and he's a forgotten figure today. His patented conservative, dreary direction largely sinks this film almost immediately. The early segment at the coroner's inquest is so boring one struggles to maintain interest. The film does improve a bit though once Trent begins to investigate and challenge the official version of events.And there are some nice performances from a very good cast. Orson Welles displays another of his vivid characterisations in his brief role. John McCallum gives an impressive performance as someone with plenty to hide; his facial reactions when Trent reveals he knows most of his secrets makes the scene quite compelling. However, overall this film is a major disappointment. The final scene which tries to be both a revelation of who the actual murderer was AND be a romantic ending is especially poorly handled.

gridoon2018 "Trent's Last Case" is not a classic, but it's a nice little cozy mystery. It is well-plotted, and by watching it a second time you can see how well the entire story hangs together (though the very last twist does not really change the essence of the story - but maybe that was precisely the point). There is also a distinguished British cast (Margaret Lockwood is accurately described within the film as "very beautiful, dark, and self-possessed"), plus an eccentric and quite fascinating turn by Orson Welles, who despite his third billing appears only in the last half-hour, in flashbacks. The director doesn't do anything phenomenal, but he doesn't do anything wrong, either; the settings are opulent but do not overwhelm the story. I believe most genre fans will enjoy this one. **1/2 out of 4.

dbborroughs Armchair detective gets involved in the case of the death of a rich man. The inquest says suicide- but ends are left hanging so Trent investigates.Stoggie formal British mystery with Orson Welles in flashbacks playing the dead man with a pointy nose, too much make up and raised eyebrows. He's in over acting mode chewing the scenery in his "look at me style". He's in the film for just over ten minutes but all I remembered was his bad acting and silly nose.As for the rest of the film it's an okay time waster, but it's not much beyond that. It's a long 90 minutes